CKCU FM in Ottawa is the home of "Canadian Spaces", Canada's longest-running folk music radio program. Chopper McKinnon founded the show in 1980 and hosted it for 33 years. The show serves as a vital hub and sounding board for Canadian singer-songwriters. Each Saturday morning, the loyal listeners – the "Space Cadets" – are treated to live performances and relaxed interviews. Chopper believed pass
ionately in the quality of Canadian folk music, and gave airplay and encouragement to countless artists from across the country. Listeners have always showed strong support for Canadian Spaces during CKCU's annual funding drive. The high level of donations to the show saved the entire station from bankruptcy at one point. CKCU created the Ottawa Folk Festival in 1994 in response to the immense passion and loyalty of Chopper's audience. He served as the Main Stage host at the festival for the next 15 years, and received the Helen Verger Award in 1999 for his "significant, sustained contributions to folk music in Canada". Listeners and musicians from across Canada and beyond expressed a deep, personal sense of loss on hearing of his passing. A number of songs were written in his honour, and several memorial concerts and tributes were held. "Canadian Spaces" is now hosted by Chris White with a series of co-hosts who have connections to the folk community. All CKCU shows are broadcast on 93.1 FM to a 100 km radius on, streamed at www.ckcufm.com, and available for a year in the CKCU audio archive at www.ckcufm.com/schedule. For more information, please contact Chris White: [email protected]
