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So tolerant was Jamie, in fact, that he would often inquire as he left for the day and I settled in to work in my home office, "So any meetings this morning, or will it be just you and Peter?"

Peter Gzowski was the voice that informed, entertained, amused, comforted, and kept me company through those long, first years of working from home with small children. On the days when I thought I might go around the bend if I heard one more Raffi song, I'd quickly switch the radio to CBC and settle in to listen to whatever Peter felt like telling me about. It didn't matter much to me who the guest was I knew Peter would play him or her like a fiddle, drawing out every interesting morsel, giving me something challenging to consider.

Peter was unfailingly charming, witty, and insightful, and I felt that I belonged to a select club those who were lucky enough to be able to listen to Peter Gzowski every morning from 9am to 12pm. It was one of the best things about working at home.

Although I couldn't see him, I could tell when Peter's voice occasionally became choked, that the same things that made me cry, made him cry. I knew we were on the same wavelength in more ways than one. When his retirement from CBC brought our weekday liaisons to an end, I sat and cried in the schoolyard parking lot listening to his farewell broadcast. Wiping my eyes with a McDonald's napkin that I'd found in the glove compartment, I glanced around and saw other women, in their cars, wiping their eyes with napkins from other, equally fine, dining establishments.

They, too, had had a 'thing' with Peter.

You know, as Canadians, we're not big on heroes. Most of our politicians have been shot full of satirical holes long before they take office, and our big name movie stars all seem to be comedians. My own list of heroes is very small. Jamie and our two sons certainly qualify, as did my father, but I don't think my list would be complete if it didn't also include Peter Gzowski.

Peter's place has been secured on my hero list not only by virtue of his outstanding contributions to the fostering and celebration of Canadian culture most particularly the CBC, of course, but also by his generous and ever-gracious support of Trent, serving as our Chancellor and rising to bestow our honorary degrees even when his health has made such duties an incredible challenge.

All too often, we forget to say thank you to those who give us the most. I'd rather not make that mistake in this case, and therefore, on behalf of all of us who admired your work on CBC for so many years, and all those who appreciate your many contributions to our University today, I say thank you, Peter. You truly are a Canadian hero.

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