Veteran broadcaster Lowell Green, a defining voice on Ottawa’s talk radio for more than five decades, has died at 89, his family confirmed Sunday.
Lowell Green, longtime host of The Lowell Green Show on 580 CFRA and influential Ottawa broadcaster, He is remembered for his impact on radio and civic activism.
Best known for The Lowell Green Show on 580 CFRA, Green built a reputation for outspoken commentary and what he often called “common sense” perspectives. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1936 to Canadian parents, he was raised in Ontario and educated at Macdonald Agricultural College of McGill University before beginning his radio career in Brantford. He joined CFRA in 1960 and remained a fixture until retiring in 2016, later continuing online broadcasts through 2022.
Green’s influence extended beyond the microphone. In 1965, he organized public support to preserve the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill. The following year, his campaign highlighting pollution in the Rideau River contributed to the creation of the Rideau River Conservation Authority—an early example of talk radio mobilizing civic action. He also advocated for stricter gun laws after a 1975 shooting at St. Pius X High School and founded the Ottawa Sunday Herald in 1983, a precursor to the Ottawa Sun.
Media historians note that Green helped shape the rise of personality-driven talk radio in Canada, reflecting broader North American trends where hosts became influential community figures. Two of his broadcasts are preserved at Library and Archives Canada, underscoring his cultural footprint.
His family said he died suddenly on Feb. 14 and requested privacy. For many listeners, Lowell Green was more than a radio host—he was a daily companion and a catalyst for civic debate in the nation’s capital.