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North·Personal essay

4 decades of memories: CBC North's Randy Henderson says goodbye

Randy Henderson writes a farewell piece to our viewers and readers after just shy of 40 years at CBC North.

'I leave this job with so many fond memories of the people I've met and the places I have seen'

Randy Henderson · CBC News ·
Randy Henderson takes readers on a walk down memory lane after his final Northbeat aired on Friday. (Walter Strong/CBC)

After working at CBC North in each of the last five decades, Friday was my last day of work.

I have interviewed presidents, prime ministers, premiers, princes ... But the most memorable ... were with the people in the communities.- Randy Henderson

So many changes — from the analog days of splicing tape, pounding typewriters and teletype machines, to the digital age of live streaming and desktop editing.

There was change in the people and places we cover. When I first came up North in the 1970s, I lived in the village of Frobisher Bay, N.W.T. Now it is the capital city of Iqaluit in Nunavut.

There were no settled land claims north of 60 and responsible government was in its infancy.

Randy Henderson at his desk at CBC in Yellowknife around 1989. He was the host of the radio show Mackenzie Morning at the time. (Submitted by Randy Henderson)

The sweep of change saw a new territory formed, the demise of gold mining, the promise of diamond mines, and with that, the boom and bust economy built on pipe dreams — oil and gas.

The one constant through all of this, however, is the resiliency of the people who live on this land. As the old adage goes: what doesn't kill you will make you stronger.

And the people of the North are strong.

On N.W.T.'s territorial election night in 2003. Henderson, centre, anchored the show with the station manager Craig Mackie, left, and reporter Dave Miller on the right. (Submitted by Randy Henderson)

Our job as broadcasters is to prepare people for social change. I leave it up to our audience to determine if we have done an adequate job in that regard.

I leave this job with so many fond memories of the people I've met and the places I have seen. I have interviewed presidents, prime ministers, premiers, princes, astronauts and the corporate elite. But the most memorable and endearing interviews were with the people in the communities, especially the elders.

I think of Hyacinthe Andre at his camp near Tsiigehtchic — we came across him cutting wood well into his 80's during our Radio on the River trip in 1993. We interviewed him in English, Gwich'in and North Slavey and had one of us been able to speak French, he could have done that too.

Gordon Lennie's boat fully loaded with radio equipment and camping gear in Fort Providence prior to our 1,000 mile journey down the Mackenzie River for Radio On the River in 1993. (Submitted by Randy Henderson)

I remember Mary Louise Norwegian of Fort Simpson regaling us with stories of years gone by. She gave me a pair of knitted socks that I still wear today.

And Annie C. Gordon of Aklavik. I spoke with her atop a snowbank at the reindeer crossing north of Inuvik. She had a love-hate relationship with reindeer that had a profound effect on her and her family.

Henderson interviewing Lloyd Binder, left, in Inuvik, N.W.T., in 2017 at the annual reindeer crossing. (CBC)

I will miss those occasions.

I want to thank all of our viewers, listeners and readers who invited me into their homes every day.

I am truly blessed to have had the honour and privilege of serving you.

Juanita Taylor, back left during the last show for former CBC Northbeat host Randy Henderson. (Walter Strong/CBC)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Randy Henderson

Host

Randy Henderson is the host of CBC Northbeat. In the past, he hosted Qulliq, a radio show in Iqaluit, for 10 years. He then hosted Mackenzie Morning and The Trailbreaker at CBC in Yellowknife.

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