George Garrett - George Garrett: Intrepid Reporter

George Garrett is one of the most remarkable reporters of news that I have ever known. George has always had the ability to smell a good story and to report on it honestly and accurately. George is well respected for his work and also for his knowledge of the subjects or activities that he reported on.Jim PattisonSome reporters are excellent to deal with and over the years may form professional and personal relationships with officers. I know a well-respected reporter by the name of George Garrett who worked in the Vancouver area for many years. He was so well liked and respected by police officers that he is still invited to many police functions in spite of the fact he is retired. George Garrett always did his job and reported the good with the bad. If a police officer or department made a mistake, he reported it fairly and accurately without personal bias. I think that is what garnered him the respect. He was a professional and reported all of the facts and all of the story.Constable Wayne Ryan, author of Souls Behind the BadgeDuring my tenure with Vancouvers Major Crime Squad, the floor was strictly off-limits to civilian personnel. The only exception to the rule was a crime reporter named George Garrett who was given full access to the Homicide Unit. (Personally I think he had his own key.) Garrett reported with insight, colour and accuracy and could be trusted with information that was off the record. He acted as an invaluable liaison between the police and the media.Wayne Cope, author of Vancouver BlueA must-read for anyone interested in BC history. [George is] one of the most significant figures in the history of BC journalism.Harold Munro, Vancouver Sun editor

Intrepid Reporter

George Garrett

Copyright 2019 George Garrett

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All photos are from the authors collection except where otherwise noted

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Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd. acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $ 153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country.

Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. Lan dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de lart dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

We also gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Government of Canada and from the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Garrett, George, 1934-, author

George Garrett : intrepid reporter / George Garrett.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-55017-866-1 (softcover). ISBN 978-1-55017-867-8 ( HTML )

1. Garrett, George, 1934. 2. Radio journalistsBritish ColumbiaBiography. 3. Reporters and reportingBritish ColumbiaBiography. 4. CKNW (Radio station : New Westminster, B.C.)EmployeesBiography. 5. Investigative reporting. 6. Autobiographies. I. Title.

PN 4913. G 364 A 3 2019070.43092 C 2018-905970-2

C 2018-905971-0

For Warren Barker, long-time CKNW News Director, my boss, mentor and friend.

At age eighty-three I returned to what had been my grandmothers farm, where I spent my summers as a kid. All thats left is Grandmas old cook stove, rusting on the range. Photo by Darwin Glass

Gary Hanney (left) and I were covering a serious story, one of many logging protests by environmentalists, this one on King Island, but its obvious from our smiles we loved our work. Photo courtesy the Hanney collection

As a young reporter I covered everything, including the armed robbery of two ladies at the now-defunct Pines Caf on the Fraser Highway in Surrey in the 1950s. Note my dark hair and the cheap little microphone that was connected to my wind-up tape recorder (not shown). Photo courtesy Top Dog! A History of CKNW . Canada Wide Magazines Ltd.

I remember George Garrett s last day in the newsroom. I was scheduled for the evening shift and was in my car on the way to work when Trevor Pancoust opened the 2 p.m. newscast with Well, what would George Garretts last day at CKNW be without a scoop.

George actually broke the story three hours previous on the 11 a.m. newscast with Terry Schintzwhen he shocked the public (and many members of his newsroom) by revealing Gordon Wilson was leaving the political party he founded to cross the floor, and become the NDP minister responsible for the troubled BC Ferries, then mired in the so-called fast ferries fiasco.

The Trevor Pancoust quote is based only on my memory, but you can find a piece of amazing video on YouTube documenting Georges last day, and specifically the minutes leading up to his 11 a.m. scoop.

The video shows George at his best. Relentlesslybut politelyworking a source to confirm information he received as a tip. People loved giving George a tip. Why? Because they could trust him to be discreet and dogged in his pursuit of a story. And because they liked him. George finally got the confirmation he required by telling his contact he was going to broadcast the details in less than ten minutes, and then saying as a friend, I wouldnt be making a fool of myself, would I? George had earned the right to ask that question because of forty-three years of breaking stories without burning contacts, and he got his answer, and his last big scoop.

In the video you also see brief glimpses of Georges beloved Casio electronic day-timer. This was Georges bible. A treasure of home numbers, addresses and private cell phones of the provinces most influential people. This was long before social media made finding people much easier for journalists. These numbers were earned. And they werent shared with just anyone.

Ill never forget getting a tip about Indigenous grandparents devastated by the death of their young granddaughter. They were traumatized upon learning the little girls eyes had been removed during an autopsyagainst their wishes and cultural practice. The chief coroner at the time (now Senator Larry Campbell) hadnt returned messages Id left with his office staff, and I was stumped. But I couldnt let go of the story after speaking to the girls grandfather. They took the best part of her, I remember him telling me, his voice trembling. I was so moved by his words, and, it turns out, so was George, who gave me Campbells home number. Tell him George Garrett gave you the number, and I said you can be trusted. Campbell gave me the interview, I channelled George and asked tough questions politely, and I was able to tell an important story. All thanks to George.