Gordon Atkinson (Canadian politician)
| Gordon Atkinson | |
|---|---|
| MNA for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce | |
|
In office 1989–1994 |
|
| Preceded by | Harold Thuringer |
| Succeeded by | Russell Copeman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 24, 1922 Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Died | January 13, 2006 |
| Political party | Equality Party |
| Profession | broadcaster |
Gordon Atkinson (August 24, 1922 – January 13, 2006) was a broadcaster and politician in Quebec, Canada.
Gordon Atkinson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of William James Atkinson, officer of the Canadian Armed Forces, and Martha Kathleen Johnson. He was an infantry officer with the Calgary Highlanders during the Second World War and served in the Northwest Europe campaign. After the war Gordon moved to Los Angeles as a TV, radio and motion picture actor, writer and director. He received his training at the Pasedena Playhouse, where he studied with notables as Carolyn Jones (The Adams Family) and Barbara Hale (Perry Mason's secretary, Della Street).
Atkinson became a radio announcer in Calgary, Alberta in 1937. Between 1946 and 1950 he worked in radio, cinema and theatre both in Los Angeles and Canada. In the early 1950s he rejoined the Canadian Army with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) for the Korean War, serving in Korea and Japan. After the war, he was asked by the CBC to become a teacher of television for the newly created CBC-TV in Toronto. From 1955 to 1957 he worked as an advisor to Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent.
He moved to Winnipeg from Toronto in 1954 as CBC Program Manager. While there, he created many television shows, most of which were brought under question due to the morals of the time. He hired a night club entertainer and his wife as a (male) host for an entertainment program. The program was cancelled as common folk objected to a night club owner/entertainer involved in Television. While in Winnipeg, he helped to bring up lines from B.C. to Vancouver, and created Vancouver CBC Television. He later moved his family to Montreal, where he worked in theatre at the Mountain Playhouse for many years. He was actor, director, and voice actor in the community. He also directed many plays at McGill University (Wry and Ginger 1959).
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