My name is Harvey Oberfeld and I retired in 2006 after 38 years as a reporter in print and television; having won several B.C. and national reporting awards. (See my Wikipedia page). I was born March 1945 in Montreal, Quebec. Graduated from Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) in 1968 … and began my Journalism career as Assistant Editor of C-I-L Industries “Contact” Employee Newspaper in Montreal. A year later made my move to news reporting …wrote to every newspaper across Canada..and was hired by the Saskatoon Star Phoenix (May 1969-Oct 1969); then moved to the Regina Leader Post (Oct. 1969-Oct. 1971).
(More stories and sometimes hilarious anecdotes to come about all this later on this Blog!)
A vacation trip to BC in summer ‘71 convinced me immediately THIS was THE PLACE for me .. Love at First Sight! Applied at the Vancouver Sun ..and was hired, first covering general News, then Burnaby Council, Vancouver City Hall, became Sun’s first Regional Affairs Reporter (GVRD); followed by BC Provincial Legislature (1971-79).
BCTV in 1979 made me an offer I could not refuse … a new challenge doing Television Reporting ..not to mention more money, a company car and a profit sharing plan. It was the BEST professional move I ever made .. under the tutelage of News Director Cameron Bell and Assignment Editor Keith Bradbury. (Lots of anecdotes and backroom stories to come about those years too!)
In 1981, BCTV moved me to Ottawa … the station’s FIRST full-time Bureau Chief … where we proudly broke several barriers for British Columbians and especially our viewers: including the Central and Eastern Canadian politicians’ and even the Press Gallery’s “colonial” attitude to BC issues, raising BC questions. (More stories about that to come on this Blog!)
After 8 years on Parliament Hill (despite several trips a year back to reality in BC) I decided it was time to LIVE in the land I love …British Columbia. So, much to BCTV’s disappointment, I invoked my “return” clause and had them move be back to home base in Vancouver, where I worked (and even won a few regional, national awards) until 2006, when, at 61, I decided to retire. No sense working til you keel over, I thought …and believe wholeheartedly.
Now I can relax, enjoy travel … tell YOU some behind-the-scenes stories, from my own personal point of view. And also express personal OPINION on issues of the day. They may entertain, amuse and/or sometimes enrage … but my greatest hope, is that they will at least present you with ideas worth discussing …. here, or with others you know.
Watch for it all …in coming posts! And if you want to know more about me and my career.. check out my page on Wikipedia.
Harv O
5 responses so far ↓
1 Mike Boileau // Jun 25, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I would love to interview Harvey Oberfeld, as well as other retired or fired news journalists.
2 Brian N // Jul 10, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Right on Brother ! I dig. So far I don’t disagree with anything you speak about……..so far………………
Brian.
3 connie // Oct 11, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I knew you way back when and proud of it! My favourite anecdote is about the Turkish hostage taking. Isn’t retirement where it is at? But, sometimes I miss interviewing the interesting and the police/court beat. You rank as the best reporter I know. The worst took my beat over when I was writing the book. I glanced out the newsroom window one day and saw the worst apt building in town burning. I told the guy but he said, “Not now. I am busy”. I won an award for covering that one.
(Response: Thanks, Connie. That Turkish embassy story was quite fun ..maybe I’ll tell it on here, for a little light relief, once we get past the election.
For my readers, Connie Sampson is the author of Buried in the Silence, the story of the murder of aboriginal trapper Leo LaChance by a Saskatchewan white supremacist. ho )
4 BC Mary // Oct 26, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I’m very, very glad you made the decision to have an early and active retirement.
B.C. surely needs you now.
(Response: It’s interesting… Global and I originally had talked about me doing “special” stories once or twice a month after I retired, but they renegged on that. I certainly could not see myself doing “p.r.” … and then a computer-wise friend suggested/set up the Blog. It opened an amazingly interesting door for me! I feel I am giving back to my community: standing up for journalistic standards, integrity and causes I believe are just. And it feels good … even though I hear I’m no longer kindly thought of by many where I worked and helped make such a success for so many years. ho)
5 harry // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:56 pm
i remember a middle of the night discussion at the top of little mountain , you respected the position that i was in. you then at the right time broke the story. the rest is history cheers harv.
(Response: Don’t recall/think I’d ever go to Liitle Mountain “in the middle of the night” to meet someone over a story. I was never brave enough for that!
But I did always respect people’s requests not to break a story they gave me ..until they were ready to do so. h.o.)
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