Newsman Writes 30 to Long, Rich Life by Erik Watt in 1976, Seeking New Challenges, Mr

Newsman writes 30 to long, rich life By Erik Watt In 1976, seeking new challenges, Mr. Watt came aturity finally back north to establish a Mcaught up with tourism venture on the Erik Watt in Yellow- Mackenzie River. That knife on November 10, never got off the ground and 2003. The effect, as he wound up as editor of the he'd expected, was Yellowknifer for a year and lethal. He was 76. then regional manager, later In his time as a news- director, of public affairs for man, public relations Indian and Northern Affairs consultant, cartoonist, carpenter, freelance writer and broad- Canada in Yellowknife. caster, outdoorsman, playwright, raconteur and poet, Mr. In 1984 he became the Watt made no secrets of his flight from maturity. "ANYBODY first editor of Up Here maga- can grow up," he once said. "But why?" zine in Yellowknife before Born in Edmonton March 4, 1927, Mr. Watt was a fifth setting up his own public generation newsman who worked on 12 dailies (two of them relations and media consul- twice) before "selling out for money." tancy business, Erik Watt "I had a hard time finding my niche," he said. "I wasn't the and Associates, the follow- Erik Watt smartest, the brightest or the best writer, but I was faster than ing year. He retired in 1998. most of the people I worked with. A lot of big stories were Mr. Watt worked as "stringer" for Macleans and Time mag- turned over to me because of that." azines, and had produced two books, Yellowknife: How a Mr. Watt had been editor of the Sudbury Star, managing City Grew and McDougall's Bash, a collection of northern editor of the Cornwall Standard-Freeholder, Sarnia Observer, poetry, and one play, BushPilot, which made its debut in Oshawa Times and the Calgary Albertan, and a reporter or Yellowknife in 1997. deskman for the Edmonton Journal, Winnipeg Free Press, He was better known, however, as a lyricist for the Moron Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Globe and Mail, Lethbridge Herald, Tabernac Choir and the Neverly Brothers, locally infamous, and the Toronto Telegram, as well as publisher of two neither of which, fortunately, ever cut any records. Telegram-owned suburban weeklies, the Mississauga News Survivors include his wife, Joy, and beloved dog, Qimmiq; and the Bramalea Guardian. three daughters, Kathryn Matzigkeit and Enid (Mrs. Alan He branched out into freelance work for the Canadian Thornburn), both of Calgary, and Judy of Kimberley, B.C.; five Broadcasting Corporation and magazines in that period, and grandchildren and one great grandchild; brother Peter (Liz) of between 1956 and 1962 covered the Northwest Territories Grande Prairie, and sister-in-law Fern of Nanaimo, B.C. He for the Journal and, later, the Free Press, as the only North was predeceased by his brother Robin last June. American reporter with the North as a full-time beat. -30-.

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