Remembering Ray Torgrud

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/01/2021 (1685 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Former CKY and CJAY TV host Ray Torgrud was born in Red Deer, Alta., on June 28, 1930. In 1947, he became a newspaper correspondent for three different sources and began his broadcasting career at CKRD radio in Red Deer.

During the 1950s, Ray worked at various broadcast outlets in British Columbia and Alberta, including

CHCT Calgary, which was Alberta’s first TV station. In 1960, Ray and his wife Karen tossed a coin when he was offered a job at a brand new Winnipeg TV station. The coin said no – but they still came to Winnipeg.

On Sat., Nov. 12, 1960, Ray introduced CJAY to Winnipeg, on channel 7. The first show it aired was Panorama 7. The station was located west of Winnipeg Stadium and was separated from the then-open-air Polo Park Shopping Centre by an open field.

The Moffat family purchased the station in 1973 and changed its call letters to CKY. During the ’70s, Ray and Jack Wells anchored the station’s 6 p.m. news show. He also hosted the current affairs program Today’s World for 27 years, covering a lot of interesting topics.

The first local TV drama was CJAY’s Silent Orbit, which was produced by Al Johnson. Seventeen CJAY employees, including Ray, Bob Burns and Jackie Davidson took part in the production.

In 1961, Ray participated in telethons to raise money for Rainbow Stage and the Kiwanis Club and these television fundraisers went on to become regular parts of Winnipeg’s TV landscape. In 1980, he took part in a national telethon inspired by Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research.

Also in 1961, CJAY became affiliated with the all-Canadian CTV television network.

In 1964, Ray, Shirley Gingell, and Stew MacPherson televised the Red River Exhibition parade and presented the history of the Ex.

During his career,  Ray interviewed many famous people including former U.S. vice-president Hubert Humphrey, singer Tanya Tucker and the Osmond  family, among others. During the blizzard of March 4, 1966, he improvised and filled air time by interviewing fellow CJAY employees.

Away from work, Ray, Karen, and their children Laine and Julie resided in St. James-Assiniboia. He enjoyed family life and never seemed able to turn away a stray cat, so his daughter Julie nicknamed him ‘Bert Rand’ after infamous Winnipeg cat lover Bertha Rand.          

Over the years, Ray became known as the voice of CKY. When he retired in 1992, he was the last of the original CJAY broadcasters.

During a farewell interview by Sylvia Kuzyk he recalled one guest’s comment that “we are all here to serve.”

Ray served his family, employer, and community well. He died on Nov. 6, 2010.

Fred Morris is a community correspondent for St. James. Reach him at fredmorris@hotmail.com