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If you're in the Nation's Capital, chances are you know the name Laurence Wall. He's been on Ottawa airwaves for more than 30 years, but May 30th will be his final headline at CBC Radio. Others may not recognize him, but know the voice - he was the last announcer who voiced the National Research Council's daily 1 PM time check that the Corp. discontinued after decades on air.
After 3 decades on Ottawa's airwaves, Laurence Wall is hanging up the mic
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The CBC time check once saved my father a traffic ticket.
He says he was making a left-hand turn on a street in Vancouver, which was allowed before 4pm.
After he made the turn a cop behind him lit up his lights and pulled my dad over.
He told him -- sir I'm giving you a ticket because you made a left turn after 4pm.
My dad replied, "but officer it is not 4pm yet.
The cop disagreed, so my dad turned up the volume on his car radio and told the cop, the CBC, which uses the atomic clock at the Ottawa observatory -- the most accurate clock in the world, has not yet played the top of the hour time signal.
My dad told the cop to just listen for a moment.
Sure enough the CBC then announced the Ottawa observatory time signal, proving it had just then turned 4pm.
My dad recalled the cop actually snarled in anger, turned around and drove off.
My dad laughed.