Jason Forth / Owner and Station Manager

As a youth growing up in rural Alberta I found it hard sometimes to amuse myself. Long bus rides to school, both parents working, rabbit ears on the TV to pick up 2-3 channels on a good day, and a general sense of loneliness and isolation sometimes led me astray.  But it also forced me to discover two VERY important things – music and technology.  Armed with an AM/FM radio with a cassette recorder for late night K-97 and CBC pirating sessions and a bright yellow Sony Walkman for the long bus rides to and from school, I quickly found an escape that made my life just a little brighter.

Once I added an Apple II+ computer and a dial-up modem to my handful of toys, I was quickly trying to figure out the early “internet” between the many interruptions inherent in doing such things on a shared party-line.  I can only imagine what the neighbours thought was going on with their phone as I downloaded anything I could find in this new digital frontier at a whopping 300 baud rate.  And, by the time I hit University, I was a fully developed nerd.

This is where I discovered a relatable community, as well as a love for volunteering.  Connecting with like-minded people, helping others and organizations who needed the support, and finding my legs as a student leader brought me a world that was limitless.  Flash forward 30+ years and out of the mist emerged “The Wizard” – and I’m ready and willing to serve my community again!