Lowell Green | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1936-07-07)7 July 1936 Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | 14 February 2026(2026-02-14) (aged 89) |
| Spouse | Deborah Green |
| Awards | |
| Career | |
| Show | The Lowell Green Show |
| Station | CFRA Ottawa |
| Time slot | Weekdays 10 am to 12pm |
| Style | Talk radio |
| Country | Canada |
| Previous show | Greenline |
| Website | lgreen.ca (archived) |
Lowell Green (7 July 1936 – 14 February 2026) was a Canadian radio personality, journalist and author, best known as the host ofThe Lowell Green Show, a conservative morningtalk show that aired on theOttawa,Ontario, radio stationCFRA. He wrote newspaper articles and autobiographical, historical and fictional books.
Green was born inAnn Arbor, Michigan, United States, on 7 July 1936, to Canadian parents, and immigrated to Canada. He graduated fromMacdonald Agricultural College ofMcGill University inMontreal,Quebec, in 1956.[1]
Green started his radio broadcasting career inBrantford, Ontario, and subsequently moved to radio stations inSudbury, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec. In 1960, he was hired by G. Campbell McDonald[2] at CFRA as a news and farm reporter. In 1966, he began hostingGreenline, and eventually became the longest-running open-line talk show host inNorth America. He retired briefly from radio in the 1980s, but returned in 1990. Two of his historic broadcasts are being preserved atLibrary and Archives Canada.[3]
In 1993, he returned to CFRA and hostedThe Lowell Green Show until his official retirement on 4 January 2016. He continued contributing to the station's weekly "midday programNews and Views with Rob Snow" until aBell Media restructuring in mid-November 2019.[4] On occasion, he can be heard calling intoThe Rob Snow Show, now airing onCIWW.[5]
Green was controversial at times. Several complaints have been made against him to theCanadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC). In a 1994 complaint to the CBSC, listeners alleged that Green had been rude and abusive to a caller who identified herself as a Christian. Although the CBSC determined that Green's conduct had contravened its guidelines on discrimination, it also decided that the station had responded appropriately, and the group did not prescribe any further action. In 2006 and 2008, the council censured Green for his treatment of a Muslim man who challenged Green on the way the radio show host portrays Islam.[6][7] In June 2017, there was controversy as to whetherIndigo Books and Music had pulled Green's latest book,Amazing But True!, from its bookshelves in stores in Canada.[8]
On 31 December 2019, in an emotional farewell, Green ended his radio career on CFRA with the following final words:
I believe, that we all have a responsibility, more than that, we have a duty, to do whatever we can, in whatever fashion we can, to make a better world for our children.
And CFRA Nation, you have done your duty, and I hope and pray that you'll continue to do so. Thank you all, goodbye.[9]
On 14 September 2020, Green returnedonline withThe Island of Sanity, a one-hour podcast available on various Internet platforms, which was pared down to thirty minutes on 13 October 2020 and featured live on Internet radio and the social networking platformFacebook.[10]
In a late 1960s protest, Green urged his listeners to fill bottles of water taken from the pollutedRideau River, and to ship them to the Ontario legislature atQueen's Park. His listeners shipped many bottles and containers of polluted water.Canada Post objected, and stopped accepting them. According to Green, the uproar led to the creation of theRideau Valley Conservation Authority and the start of a clean-up effort of the Rideau River and theOttawa River.[9]
With his 1967 Save The Centennial Flame Campaign, a month of relentless broadcasts, and over three-thousand petitions from listeners, the iconicCentennial Flame remains and continues to shine onParliament Hill.[11]
In 1975, after the school shooting that occurred at theSt. Pius X High School in Ottawa, Green and thousands of his supporters joined his Fire Arms Safety Association. It lobbied and petitionedMembers of Parliament, while he appeared before parliamentary and senate committees tasked with the process of making policy and enacting new gun law legislation in Canada.[9] In order to encourage Quebecers to vote "No" in the1995 Quebec Independence referendum, he promoted and helped organize a politicalUnity Rally which was held inPlace du Canada in Montreal, Quebec.[12]
With the Reverend Norman Johnston, he founded the Ottawa chapter of theBig Brothers and was founder of the Help Santa Toy Parade in Ottawa. He contributed to ongoing efforts to help modernize and renovate the Saint Vincent Hospital and the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital in Ottawa. He was a founder of the Sunday Herald in Ottawa which was in 1988 purchased by theOttawa Sun.[13][9]
Green served on the boards of theUnited Way, theJohn Howard Society, the Drug Addiction Research Council, and on the town council in WestHull, Quebec.[12][14]
In 1968, Green attempted to win theLiberal nomination for the federal riding of Pontiac during the1968 federal election, but lost this bid toThomas Lefebvre.[15] On 13 December 1984, Green ran for theOntario Liberal Party in a provincial by-election inOttawa Centre. The by-election was called afterNDPMichael Cassidy resigned his seat. He came third, losing to NDP candidateEvelyn Gigantes. Green blamed this loss on his "sharp" personality and a low voter turnout.[16]
Green's politics veered considerably to the right in later years. On 24 October 2020, Green publicly endorsed Matthew Fisher, a former journalist who was a foreign correspondent forThe Globe and Mail,Sun Media andPostmedia Network for 34 years, to become theConservative MP forKanata—Carleton.[17]
Green died on 14 February 2026, at the age of 89.[18]
The following is a list of works authored by Lowell Green. His latest book,Amazing But True! 150 Fascinating Stories About Canada, was in 2017 nominated for the Governor General'sPierre Berton Award,[27] presented annually byCanada's National History Society for works celebrating Canadian history. He also received the Canada Book Award which recognizes and promotes Canadian authors.[29]
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