“In school, I always liked history and newsy things. I knew I wanted to be on the radio. Back in those days I listened to CKY in Winnipeg. I wanted to do something in radio and communications. I didn’t know if I’d be on the news side of things, but that’s where I plugged in at the start but it’s been great covering things and being on the news end.”
People like Lorna Dueck and Dwight MacAulay were around the station when he started.
In January of 1983, Lamb did make a move. He went to Brandon to do television, working in CKX-TV. Although he did enjoy being on the screen, he came back in an interesting way. The old CJRB news director Ken Klassen was calling into CKX to look for someone to replace a staff member. The person who answered the phone was Lamb. They had a chat and then by 1984, he came back to Boissevain.
Although Lamb is known for having the perfect radio voice, over time he said the expectation changed. It is no longer as big of a deal as it used to be, but it is about getting the news out and being able to communicate. He was always interested in connecting to people, it was just getting used to doing interviews, making sure you showed you were interested in the story and the people telling it. In return, those people give you the information.
“It’s a good two-way street,” he said. “You can be having fun and they want to talk to you.”
Interviews on the radio, whether live or later to be prepared for air in the studio, mean a fair bit of thinking on one’s feet. Lamb said you need to pick up on the talking points, and focus on not repeating information. You hit the highlights of whatever the issue is.
“I often think ‘if I was listening to this story, what would I want to know?’”
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the small town politics, school boards, sports and all of the angles. You get to know the people and you are dealing with the same people a lot. I think it becomes more comfortable.”
Lamb said there have been thousands of interviews over the years, with many notable people. A couple of highlights for him were meeting federal Agricultural Minister Eugene Whelan, a colourful character if there ever was one. Another was spending some one-on-one time with hockey hero Bobby Orr. The Bruin legend was doing a tour with GM and Lamb was first on the list and was able to get 15 or 20 minutes with him.
However, he has great admiration for the people that make the small towns work.
“All of the civic leaders, the people that put time into the community, that make time for the media,” Lamb explained. “Not all of the stories are popular; they don’t always want to defend what they’re doing. I just appreciated the people who volunteered with committees that made the communities a better place in the area. I grew up in a small town and I enjoyed being here and still do. I appreciate what people have done to give back to the community and make time for the media.”
Lamb pointed to late local leaders like Ed Anderson in Boissevain, Brian Franklin in Deloraine and Ken Carels in Melita as examples of municipal mayors he remembers.
He met a lot of these leaders because CJRB, although based in Boissevain, covers a large area. This meant some long days and heavy travel. Over the years, Lamb said he spent less time on the road, and this was part of the many changes he saw over the years.
Cellphones were a great invention for contacting people, and having started his job on a manual typewriter, the advent of computers was also huge. In 2010, they started their online portal Discover Westman, which changed things again.
“It is not all about people sitting by the radio,” he said. “People want to get news on their phone, so you do your best to get it to them.”
On the air, however, the basics remained the same. He would write up a story and read it on air. Lamb said he tries not to “wing it” on the air any more than necessary, as it can come back to bite you.
Some stories that stick out in his memory are the many devastating floods in our region over the years, the coming of the Maple Leaf plant to Brandon, and connected to that, the many divisive hog barn meetings in the RMs in the area.
Betty Sawatzky is replacing Lamb behind the microphone. He is planning to do some holiday replacement for her at times and perhaps some sideline work for Golden West. He said he had an opportunity to attend a host of significant events in the entire area, from politics to sports, and has always enjoyed his time. The variety of stories small town reporters cover keeps the job fresh. Treating the people with respect, gaining their trust, presenting them honestly has always been a key to what he has done. Lamb will miss the job just as his listeners will miss him.
“As I sit and talk about it, I realize how much I’ve enjoyed it,” Lamb stated, saying people have reached out to him upon hearing of his retirement. “I’ll miss the listeners and the people who read the online stories. It’s nice to know you’ve made a difference and the people have enjoyed what you’ve tried to do. That’s the fun part of it.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff