The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Mark Elliot has passed away.

Hansa · January 10, 2019 5:36 pm

There is a post on Nils Johanson's (Mark Elliot's) Facebook page reporting that he had been ill since New Year's and is currently in a medically induced coma.

Update: He died last night.

Last edited by Hansa (January 11, 2019 12:59 pm)

RadioActive · January 10, 2019 7:05 pm

Very sad to hear. I've never met him but Mark/Nils was a great SOWNY contributor for many years and at one point, Iain Grant even gave him his own section on the site.

Link to Mark's Facebook page

Whatever ails him does not look good. According to the person who is updating his page, "I did not want to wait until he passed and shock everyone."

There are a ton of comments on his page from some familiar radio names, including Evelyn Macko, Steve Kowch, Rudy Blair, Peter Shurman, David Lennick, David Marsden and more all wishing him well. The SOWNY folk also send their silent well wishes.

Certainly a terrible way to start 2019.

Muffaraw Joe · January 10, 2019 7:39 pm

I did meet Mark, when I worked at Talk 640 and was producing Mr. Destiny with Alan Mayer on Saturday Nights. Mark did his People Helping People show after us and I was also a listener to him in his big CFRA 580 hit radio days.

I congratulated him on his People Helping People show making a difference.

Lets pray for healing!

betaylored · January 10, 2019 9:29 pm

I remember listening to his show on 1010 on occasion, and he spoke sometimes of having serious heart health issues.

He has done a lot to move people's awareness of addiction forward, and has been vocal about what more could/should be done.

I agree Muffaraw Joe, prayers for Mark, his children, and other loved ones are a small, but good thing we can do.

the original hank · January 10, 2019 11:23 pm

Nils is a GREAT guy (aka: the real deal) ... and has personally helped me during a rough patch of my life. i'm proud to call him "friend" and i pray for his wellness.

Hansa · January 11, 2019 12:56 pm

He passed away last night

Muffaraw Joe · January 11, 2019 1:05 pm

Sad news indeed, I am sorry to hear this. If there is a bright spot, Mark healed himself from addictions and used the radio medium to help heal others too! His life had meaning and he made a big difference to others.

Wishing his family and friends well in this time of loss.

RadioActive · January 11, 2019 1:45 pm

What a terrible shame. He went from the heights of local radio fame, especially in Ottawa where I'm sure this will be a big story, to the depths of addictions. And yet he eventually healed himself and helped others do the same.

An amazing man and a sad loss.

ig · January 11, 2019 2:40 pm

Dammit. Terrible news. He was a great guy and truly did want to help people. His 'stories' section is still archived here, if you think there might be an interest I can restore it.

ig.

RadioActive · January 11, 2019 2:51 pm

Here are a few radio highlights from what was a pretty successful career:

Nils Johanson on CHIC

How Nils Johanson Became Mark Elliot

Mark Elliot Quits CFRA on Air

Mark Elliot talks addiction on CFRB/Barb DiGiulio's Nightside

RadioActive · January 11, 2019 2:52 pm

ig wrote:
Dammit. Terrible news. He was a great guy and truly did want to help people. His 'stories' section is still archived here, if you think there might be an interest I can restore it.

ig.

You're welcome to do it if you can find the section. Just include the link!

ig · January 11, 2019 2:59 pm

Might have been purged. Can't find it.

RadioActive wrote:
ig wrote:
Dammit. Terrible news. He was a great guy and truly did want to help people. His 'stories' section is still archived here, if you think there might be an interest I can restore it.

ig.
You're welcome to do it if you can find the section. Just include the link!

Fitz · January 11, 2019 3:17 pm

if you search Mark Elliot it does bring up about one page of sowny posts like this from him:

=12px was writing a book about an addiction case I worked on, but found myself switching topics early on.
=12pxInstead I found myself writing about my career at CHIC Brampton=12px, CFOM AM Quebec City=12px, CFRW Winnipeg=12px, CFRA Ottawa=12px, CFGO Ottawa=12px, CKLW Windsor/Detroit=12px, AM 640=12px, and News Talk 1010 Toronto=12px. It has become a multimedia project with photos, recordings of audio and video, newspaper articles, and tons of memorabilia.
=12pxI only wish I'd taken better care of what I'd done, but junkies aren't big on preserving the past=12px. So, I have very little record of my history.
=12pxFor instance: when I resigned on air at CFRA in 1986 it was airchecked, but I have never heard it again. I know that recordings exist, but I've never found one. My own was confiscated and I presume destroyed.
=12pxLots of people tell me they grew up listening to me. Some even made recordings.

https://soundcloud.com/markelliot77/cfra-1977

=12pxIf you only know me from "People Helping People=12px" on News Talk 1010=12px it's a hoot to hear me as a screaming teenager on Top 40 radio.

https://soundcloud.com/markelliot77/cfrw-1976

=12pxI'm having fun working on this because apart from the tragedy I created with my drug addiction, for a lot of it I was having the time of my life!
=12pxSomebody ran into Warren Cosford=12px complaining that they: "met Mark Elliot, but he doesn't know any of the really good Mark Elliot stories.=12px"
=12pxWarren chided the guy saying: "He was in a blackout! He doesn't remember any of the good Mark Elliot stories!=12px"
=12pxOkay. He's right. But, "I heard I had a really good time...=12px"
=12pxIf you know of anything or can help me find anything from my past let me know at markelliot.1@rogers.com or pass it along here. I'm curious to see what surfaces... Please be kind!

Dial Twister · January 11, 2019 4:11 pm

May his caring soul, and great voice, rest in peace.

Lorne · January 11, 2019 4:23 pm

A very great loss to the radio world. Here's a direct link that (I hope) will take you to all his postings.
http://sowny.net/search.php?search_id=155716920

Muffaraw Joe · January 11, 2019 4:34 pm

Hi Lorne, that link didn't work on this end...however, thanks for trying...

Here is an article about Mark from the Globe and Mail a few years (quite a few years) back...

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/amp/news/national/radio-host-talks-away-the-drug-and-alcohol-demons/article741579/

Fitz · January 11, 2019 5:02 pm

using the search function and typing out ME seems to be the only thing that works for me. Also you can find ( ME as a sowny poster) and then "show all posts" and that actually brings up about four pages and that may be the most comprehesive record of contrubutions by him on this version of the board.

Last edited by Fitz (January 11, 2019 5:08 pm)

Lorne · January 11, 2019 6:45 pm

Agreed, Fitz ... that was what I had done, and then I posted the link that resulted. But that link must just be temporary. The link I got for his profile was http://sowny.net/profile.php?id=84, and then I clicked on "Show all posts" ... I'm just posting the profile link in case it works and helps make things easier.

betaylored · January 12, 2019 1:34 am

Not sure if Newstalk 1010 would do a short segment on-air in tribute to Mark, his radio show, his work, and the lives he touched, but maybe something in the evening on Barb's show could be put together.

An hour on a Saturday night would be wonderful.

Rest in peace Mark.

Dial Twister · January 12, 2019 1:50 am

Charles Adler just completed a wonderful interview with Warren Cosford...all about Mark Elliot. They shared some great stories and did him proud...all across Canada.

Dial Twister · January 12, 2019 10:52 am

This week's Greatest Canadian...
https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/Charles-Adler-Tonight-p939477/?topicId=128659463

betaylored · January 13, 2019 12:22 am

Newstalk 1010 has composed a good tweet about Mark, his time at CFRB, and his passing.

Mayor John Tory retweeted it, with his own statement, "Mark Elliot was a brave man - an early advocate for same sex marriage, and courageously talked about his struggles with addiction to help others. Rest In Peace."

Last edited by betaylored (January 13, 2019 12:33 am)

RadioActive · January 13, 2019 2:18 pm

Official obit now up. Service is in Niagara Falls on Tuesday.

He'd just celebrated his birthday on Christmas Eve. Cause of death revealed as pneumonia.

Nils Fleming Johanson Dec. 24, 1953-Jan. 11, 2019.

RadioActive · January 20, 2019 10:55 pm

Nice tribute to Mark/Nils in the Windsor Star, the place where "People Helping People" was born on CKLW in 1995.

Mark Elliot: Legendary Ottawa DJ started groundbreaking Windsor radio show