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After more than 60 years, golden-voiced Lyle Smordin still broadcasting
By MYRON LOVE As Lyle Smordin tells it, when he was eight or nine years old, his mother Ida decided that he should learn to play the violin.
“At that time,” he recalls, “most Jewish mothers wanted their children to become musicians.”
So she took him to the old Peretz School on Aberdeen and Salter (where he was a student) and had him audition for Yasha Reznitsky, who was then head of the Winnipeg Jewish Orchestra. Reznitsky’s verdict was that a violinist the young Lyle was not going to be.
So his mother turned – you might say – to Plan B. She enrolled him in elocution lessons. With that foundation – including earning a designation as an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto when he was 15 – the now retired lawyer (as of 2018) and community leader has enjoyed a long and fulfilling side career in broadcasting – and, after more than 60 years since his first radio broadcast, he can still be heard on air weekly on Nostalgia Radio 93.7 CJNU, spinning golden oldies.
Smordin’s broadcasting career began in Saskatoon when he was 19. Although, he notes, he grew up in Winnipeg, in 1952, when he was 15, his father Harvey became manager of a garment factory in Saskatoon and the family moved to Saskatchewan’s largest city.
Smordin’s entry into the broadcasting field would seem to have been almost effortless. This was the 1950s when the medium was still relatively new and much easier to break into for someone with an eloquent voice.
“I had been involved with the campus radio station in Saskatoon,” he recounts. “At 19, I decided to take a year away from university. Since I had now had some radio experience, I contacted CKOM in Saskatoon and asked if I could audition. I was hired almost immediately.”
The next year (1959), back at school, he saw a CBC Regina ad for a summer position as an announcer. Once again, he phoned for an audition and was promptly hired.
The next year, he decided to move back to Winnipeg. (His parents, and younger brother Don moved back in 1965.) “I still had a lot of relatives (including his grandparents) and friends in Winnipeg and used to visit over the summers and Christmas holidays,” he notes. “I had also met Evita (Phomin, who was to become his wife) and we were serious about each other.”
Naturally, having worked for CBC in Regina, he successfully applied to CBC Radio in Winnipeg to work for the station for the summer.
That fall (November, 1960) though, he had the opportunity to become part of Winnipeg television history. He was hired as part of the first on-air team at CTV – Winnipeg’s new second English-language channel – working alongside such well-known personalities (at the time) as Al Johnson, Ray Torgrud, Bob Burns and the immortal sportscaster, Cactus Jack Wells.
“I worked for CTV for 18 months and had a great time,” he says. I did a little of everything – announcing, commercials and a lot of sports coverage, including Grey Cup games.”
After 18 months though, he decided that broadcasting was not what he wanted to do full time for the rest of his life. “I thought maybe I would try law school,” he recalls.
Smordin continued to work part time and over the holiday periods on air while attending law school and later articling. He was called to the Bar in 1965 and, for a time, put broadcasting on the back burner.
In a legal career that spanned 53 years – 20 of which he spent in partnership with Brian Pauls – he specialized in wrongful dismissal suits. He is a past president of the Manitoba Bar Association, as well as having served on the Mental Health Review Board, Chair of the Canada Pension Plan Tribunal and as an adjudicator for Human Rights Code cases. (He served as an administrative adjudicator in cases across the country for a number of years.) He also served as president of the Better Business Bureau and acted as the BBB’s counsel.
He also participated in numerous yearly Manitoba Bar Association fundraising theatrical productions – including playing the lead in “Inherit the Wind”. “I have always loved theatre,” he says. “In my younger days, I was on stage at the Hollow Mug and MTC.”
In the Jewish community, he is a past president of B’nai Brith Canada and served on the international board as vice-president.
Throughout the years of legal practice though, he kept returning from time to time to broadcasting. In the 1970s, he hosted an open-line TV show for Global TV based on legal issues.
“We started with four episodes, than were expanded to a year,” he recalls. “Overall, the show ran for ten years. For each episode, I would invite guest lawyers to join me. People would phone in with questions and those I couldn’t answer I would refer to my guests. It was a lot of fun.”
For the past 20 years, he notes, he has been doing retro radio. “For a time,” he recalls, “Jack Wells, Cliff Gardner and I operated our own radio station (CKJS, which hosts the Jewish radio hour Sundays). I would squeeze one or two shifts a week in hosting the morning program as well as occasionally hosting the weekly Jewish hour .”
The partners eventually sold the station but Smordin is still in some demand. The man with the golden chords invites readers who enjoy the music that CJNU offers to join him Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 to 6:00 while he spins your favourite music from years gone by.
Features
Why Fitness Routines Fall Apart — and How to Rebuild Yours
Every spring, gyms see a flood of hopeful faces. New shoes, fresh playlists, unwavering intentions, by mid-summer? Half of them vanish into the fog of abandoned routines. The story repeats year after year until it starts to feel almost scripted. Why does enthusiasm evaporate? The easy answer involves willpower but that explanation misses the point. Habits don’t fail because people are weak. Life stress, boredom, and monotony ruin routines. Timely lever pulls can change narratives. The hardest part is persevering when motivation wanes.
Mistaking Motivation for Momentum
Most chase that opening surge, the lightning strike of motivation, but then stop searching once enthusiasm fizzles. A scroll through sites like PUR Pharma (pur-pharma.is/) or a glimpse of an influencer’s progress triggers a burst of action: new workout gear ordered, plans scribbled in planners destined for dusty drawers. Yet momentum fades when small setbacks pop up (a late meeting here, rainy weather there). Real progress comes from building systems stronger than any fleeting pep talk. Those who frame fitness as something owed to motivation end up back at square one every time life interrupts, which it always does.
Overcomplicating Everything
It’s tempting to turn wellness into a science fair project with spreadsheets and specialized equipment lined up on day one. This is the allure of complexity disguised as seriousness, a new diet paired with seven types of supplements and four color-coded bottles. Simplicity gets lost in the noise almost instantly. Most successful routines rely on two principles: keep it simple and keep showing up even when everything else is chaos outside those gym walls. Anyone insisting that perfection is required before taking step one has already constructed an excuse not to begin at all.
Forgetting Fun Completely
Who decided exercise must hurt or look like punishment? Somewhere along the line, fun got swapped out for grind culture and “no pain, no gain.” That isn’t just unappealing, it’s unsustainable over months or years. If sessions feel like torture devices borrowed from medieval times, nobody should be surprised when commitment falters fast. Seek activities that actually spark some joy or curiosity, a dance class instead of yet another treadmill session, maybe, or play a pickup game rather than slogging through solo circuits again and again.
Ignoring Recovery (and Reality)
Sleep deprivation, disguised as discipline, fools anyone, except perhaps uncritical Instagram followers. Ignoring recovery turns ambition into tiredness faster than any missed session. Because bodies break without rest, routines must breathe with owners. Cycling, real leisure, and honest self-checks regarding weekly goals build endurance, not continual pushing.
Conclusion
Change rarely arrives by force alone but usually grows quietly from patterns repeated imperfectly over time, even if last month looked nothing like this week so far. Drop the hunt for nonstop inspiration. Instead of breaking behaviors at the first hint of stress or boredom, build habits that last. People who rebuild methodically after every stumble or detour make progress, not those who peak and then fall.
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How DIY Auto Repairs Can Help You Cut Costs—Safely
Regular maintenance and minor repairs are the greatest approach for many car drivers to save money without sacrificing dependability. DIY repairs can save you a lot of money over the life of your car since most of the expense is in the labour. DIY helps you learn how things work and notice tiny issues before they become costly ones. Every work requires planning, patience, and safety.
Test Your Talents with Safe Limits
DIY solutions succeed when one is honest about their talents. Wiper blades, air filters, and occupant filters are beginner-friendly. With the correct equipment, intermediate owners can replace brake pads, spark plugs, coolant, and brake fluid. Pressurized fuel, high-voltage hybrids, airbags, and timing components are risky. Only professionals should manage them. Limitations protect you and your car. Drivers trust sources like Parts Avenue to find, install, and schedule manufacturer-approved work.
Set Up a Reliable Workspace and Tools
Good tools pay for themselves quickly. Ratchets, torque wrenches, combination wrenches, heavy jack stands, and wheel chocks are essential. It is advisable to engage specialists for specific tasks. A clean, flat, well-lit, and open space is essential. Please take your time. While working, keep a charged phone nearby to read repair instructions or write torque patterns.
Find the Problem before Replacing the Parts
It may cost more to replace something without diagnosing it. Instead of ideas, start with symptoms. OBD-II readers detect leaks, sounds, and DTCs. Simple tests like voltage, smoke indicating vacuum leaks, pad thickness, and rotor runout might reveal failure. A good analysis saves components, protects surrounding parts, and fosters future trust.
Maintenance That Pays off is Most Crucial
Jobs compensate for time and tools differently. Prioritize returns and maintenance. Change the oil and filter, rotate the tires, evaluate the air pressure, replace low brake fluid, clean the coolant with the right chemicals, and replace belts and filters before they fail. These items extend automotive life, stabilize fuel efficiency, and reduce roadside towing issues that can take months to resolve.
Do as Instructed, Utilize Quality Parts, and Follow Torque Requirements
Understand the service. Set the jacking points, tighten the screws in the appropriate order, and use threadlocker or anti-seize as suggested by the maker. Rotor wear can cause leaks, distortions, or broken threads. Choose components that meet or exceed OEM requirements and fit your car’s VIN, engine code, and manufacturing date. Cheap parts that break easily cost extra.
Test, Record, and Discard Carefully
Safely test the system before patching. Check under the car for drops, bleed the brakes again, and check fluid levels after a short drive. Note torques, parts, miles, and repair date. Photo and document storage for car sales. Properly dispose of oil, filters, coolant, and brake fluid. Controlling hazards protects your community and workplace.
Know When to Seek Professional Help
Self-employed individuals recognize their constraints. If a task is challenging, requires special instruments, or involves safety, consult an expert. Collaboration makes cars safer, cheaper, and more efficient. Selecting, planning, and implementing processes properly improves performance, lowers costs, and ensures safety.
Features
What It Means for Ontario to Be the Most Open iGaming Market in Canada
Ontario is the most open commercial iGaming market in Canada, having been the first province to open up to commercial actors in the online casino and betting space since 2022.
Since gambling laws in Canada are managed on a provincial level, each province has its own legislation.
Before April 4th, 2022, Ontario was similar to any other Canadian province in the iGaming space. The only gaming site regulated in the province was run by government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, also known as OLG. However, when the market opened up, numerous high-quality gambling companies established themselves in the province, quickly generating substantial revenue. As the largest online gambling market in Canada, it’s now, three years later, also one of the biggest in North America.
The fully regulated commercial market is run under iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. These licensed casinos and online sportsbooks are thus fully legal and safe for players to play at, while at the same time, the open market allows companies to compete and offer different products and platforms as long as they all fit within the requirements set up by the state of Ontario.
This means that Ontarians have a wide choice of licensed sites, whether they’re interested in sports betting, live dealer games, or slots – all with strict consumer-protection rules that keep them safe while exploring the many options. (Source: https://esportsinsider.com/ca/gambling/online-casinos-canada)
There are many benefits to online gaming, especially in a country that’s as sparsely populated as Canada, leaving physical venues often few and far between for those living outside the biggest cities.
Even before Ontario launched its own gambling sites, online gambling had been common among Ontarians. Regulating the market and offering alternatives regulated by the province has often added safer and more controlled options.
Since 85% of Ontarians now play at regulated sites, the initiative of opening up the market seems a clear win in more than one way.
Despite the huge success of the Ontario market, most provinces in Canada haven’t changed much in the iGaming sector in the past few years. Some provinces keep Crown-run monopolies, while others limit activity to a single government-run platform. This often leads Canadians to seek offshore alternatives instead, since the options are so few in their own province.
But 2025 marks an important change. The provinces seem to have noticed that Ontario picked a winning strategy, and Alberta has clearly been taking notes.
While the province of Alberta has previously opted for controlled gambling through one government website, the province is now opening up the commercial online gambling market. The Alberta iGaming Corporation will be in charge of licensing and inspecting actors that operate in the province. This will mean many more options for players, coupled with consumer protection and a high level of safety.
Meanwhile, the Ontario iGaming market continues to prosper, grow, and develop. Now that a second province is following in its footsteps, it seems more likely that other provinces will also start following the trend.