Wally Crouter has died at the age of 92. He was a radio legend in Toronto, working as the morning host of CFRB (now NewsTalk 1010) for 50 years. The Deer Park neighborhood remembers him still with Wally Crouter Lane, the walkway from Yonge Street to the parking lot on Alvin Ave. Crouter held sway at two of CFRB’s famous locations. One was the then Proctor and Gamble building at Yonge and St. Clair and before that at the station’s long-time studios over Stollery’s at Yonge and Bloor Streets. Although Crouter had a simple style, his folksy manner and rich voice won him a huge following. He was beloved both as a constant radio companion and a notorious night owl among radio associates. His former employer said Monday that he had passed away peacefully in his sleep. Wally Crouter was born on August 5, 1923 in Lindsay and joined CFRB on November 1, 1946 after a brief stint with CHEX in Peterborough. Crouter retired exactly 50 years later on November 1, 1996. He was later inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame. Prior to his career in radio, Crouter served with the Canadian Army in World War II.
