Nunavummiut plaster social media with memories of CBC broadcaster Kootoo Onalik's career - Action News
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Nunavummiut plaster social media with memories of CBC broadcaster Kootoo Onalik's career

On Thursday, Onalik hung up his earphones for the last time in Iqaluit.

Onalik well-known for colourful weather forecasts and entertaining stories

CBC Broadcaster Kootoo Onalik has retired after almost 40 years of entertaining weather updates and funny stories. (Mike Salomonie/CBC)

For Kootoo Onalik, it's all about time.

About 18 years ago, the recently retired CBC North broadcasterprotested a controversial Nunavut government experiment one time zone for a territory that geographically stretches across three.

Onalik made it into the local newspaper for standingon the street in the capital city with a sign that blared, "Honk!!! To get the eastern time back."

On April 1, 2000, he took his protest to the next level.

"He set people up to think it was a different time than it really was," said Pat Nagle, CBC Nunavut's senior manager.

"The northern store opened an hour early. People went to ...work early, and it was all because of this April Fools' joke he played on the radio, which some people weren't too happy about, but other people got the joke.So I had some interesting phone calls after that one."

In March the next year, the government abandoned the experiment, after making four changes to the clock in 17 months, according to news reports from the time.

40 years at CBCNorth

On Thursday, Onalikhung up his earphones for thelast time after nearly 40 years with CBC North.

He worked as a weekend morning show host, and started theSundayrequest show.

Most recently he worked behind the scenes operatingthe morning show, Qulliq. He often regaledradio listenerswith meandering quotes of the day and sharp jokes.

Many people from Nunavut and beyond have taken tosocial media to share their favourite memories of Onalik on air. Here are a few of those memories: