Wayne Rostad

For over twenty years, Wayne Rostad has given audiences a rich and detailed account of how real Canadians live, work and play. His award winning show, CBC Television's On The Road Again with Wayne Rostad showcased the places and the unique voices of the people that he met throughout Canada.

A national icon, musician and storyteller Rostad has devoted his life to telling the stories of thousands of ordinary Canadians who are quietly making their mark on the world. He shares his unique understanding and perspective of Canada, its people and its national character - and keeps audiences spellbound with his stories, humour and passion.

On the Road Again was a staple of Canadian television, with many devoted viewers who faithfully tuned in every week. It won four Gemini’s for Best Lifestyle Series and Rostad was nominated seven times for Best Host. Although ostensibly about all things Canadian, the show's universal appeal was recognized by the New York Festival, which awarded it a Gold Medal for Best Human Relations Series.

Rostad has become a member of the Canadian Country Music Association Hall of Fame, made the cover of 55 Plus magazine and his Christmas in the Valley Concert Series for CHEO plays to sold out audiences.

Rostad also won a nomination for the prestigious Peabody Award, for his special The Place We Call Home. He is a member of the Order of Canada.

• Wayne Rostad's Canada

  Wayne Rostad may well have seen more of this country than any other living Canadian. For over 30 years, he has crisscrossed the nation to find the interesting stories, quirky characters and inspiring people who make this country the rich tapestry that it is—and this wealth of experience provides the material for his keynote speeches. With his signature warmth and down-to-earth sense of humour, Rostad brings the reality of Canada alive to his audiences, helping them to see what makes it such a wonderful place to live and work. It truly is a celebration—of people, places, and the diversity that makes us all stronger and richer.
  
  He can often bring a local flavour to his talks, sharing stories about the people he has met and the locales he has visited from whatever province he happens to be speaking in. This skill makes him a particularly good choice for provincial or regional groups that want to focus on their shared sense of identity and history. On the other hand, the breadth of his national experience lends itself well to a talk to national groups that want to underscore the things we all have in common as Canadians. And, whatever the event, there's always the chance that Rostad may bring out his guitar and sing a song or two to liven things up.

• 
  January 1997

  On the Road Again

  Each week, Wayne Rostad and his CBC-TV crew visit small towns, remote regions, or tiny communities right across Canada, seeking out rare characters or striking stories of spirit, individuality, pathos, or humour. Drawing together each show of On the Road Again is Rostad himself, as he takes obvious delight in the people he meets and forges their stories into songs. The result is a portrait of the country and its people rarely seen on national television. Now Wayne Rostad has collected more than two dozen stories of people and places from On the Road Again, and recounts them in his own engaging way, along with behind-the-scenes glimpses of the making of the show. Among the many people featured are: Haddon Strong of Chamberlains, Newfoundland, connoisseur and salesman of iceberg ice; Jim and Gail Henry, millionaire garbage-dump operators in the Queen Charlotte Islands; bug-eater Jim Thompson of High River, Alberta; and single parent Louise Brisset of St. Anselme, Quebec, who has given fourteen handicapped children a home. Filled with Rostad’s great storytelling, On the Road Again will be a delightful souvenir for fans his ever-popular show.