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 me 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