Meteorological Maestro: The Bill Matheson Chronicles
By: Ryan Krawchuk
Bill Matheson, born on April 26, 1926, in Lethbridge, Alberta, was no ordinary weatherman. His forecasting career in Edmonton was like a breath of fresh, crisp air, with a high pressure of humour and a warm front of whimsy. For 23 years, he painted the airwaves with his sunny language and blustery style, making even the gloomiest forecasts a delightful spectacle.
Bill Matheson, born on April 26, 1926, in Lethbridge, Alberta, was no ordinary weatherman. His forecasting career in Edmonton was like a breath of fresh, crisp air, with a high pressure of humour and a warm front of whimsy. For 23 years, he painted the airwaves with his sunny language and blustery style, making even the gloomiest forecasts a delightful spectacle.Bill's early years saw him leaping from planes as a paratrooper during World War II. After his service, he joined the Transport Department's meteorological branch in 1948, immersing himself in the world of weather. A friend's tip about a new TV station in Lethbridge in 1954 led him to a weatherman position, despite not owning a television himself. His career soared to new heights in the 1970s with an ABC in New York offer. However, local unions' failure to convince him to apply for U.S. citizenship saw him return to Alberta, his home, less than two years later.
Upon his return, Bill became a beloved figure on Edmonton's CJCA radio station, co-hosting the "Bill-and-Bill" show. Simultaneously, he joined CITV-TV in Edmonton as its weatherman, bringing a tempest of creativity to the forecast scene. With a felt marker, weatherboard, and a long pointer as his tools, he brewed a storm of entertainment in Edmonton's weather forecasting arena. His flowery language and his catchphrases like "gather ye rosebuds, while ye may" for sudden cooling trends and calling storm clouds the "darkling shadows on the weather map," earned him the title of the "Best Weathercaster in the World" in 1995.
His whimsical expressions didn't stop there. Bill often referred to the "Siberian High" as "that most dreaded of all meteorological phenomena," and its counterpart as "Keep your eye on the Idaho High." He introduced the audience to humorous terms like "Mother Low" and the "Omega Block," making every forecast a linguistic adventure2.
His colourful career continued to flourish until his retirement in November 1999. His final forecast on ITV was grand, featuring heartfelt speeches, a musical send-off by the Edmonton Police Pipe and Drum, and a studio filled with loving staff, family, and fans. His trademark weatherboard was retired too, a symbolic gesture of his indelible mark on the broadcasting community.
Bill's later years were clouded with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and he passed away on September 19, 2006, in a nursing home in Lethbridge. Yet, his legacy continues to shine bright in the hearts of Edmontonians, much like the poetic, Shakespearean phrases he often sprinkled in his forecasts, making him a cherished icon of Edmonton's broadcasting history.
Bill Matheson wasn't just a weatherman; he was Edmonton's meteorological bard, whose forecasts were not merely about the weather, but a chance to "gather ye rosebuds, while ye may."
- https://edmontonbroadcasters.com/bios/matheson-bill/#:~:text=A%20radio%20personality%20and%20television,Weather%20Forecasters%E2%80%99%20Festival%20in%20Paris
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Matheson
- https://www.pressreader.com/canada/edmonton-journal/20130125/281530813393009#:~:text=Bill%20Matheson%20died%20of%20complicati%C2%ADons,how%20much%20he%20was%20loved
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