Canadian comedian and former Royal Canadian Air Farce actor Dave Broadfoot has died at age 90, his family confirmed to CBC News.
Born in Vancouver on Dec. 5, 1925, Broadfoot was an early member of the long-running comedy show on CBC. Starting in 1973, he appeared on radio and television versions of the show for 15 years.
Dave Broadfoot, centre, is congratulated by Royal Canadian Air Farce performers Roger Abbott, right, and Don Ferguson at a ceremony in Toronto in September 2003. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)
Among his best-known characters were the Honourable Member for Kicking Horse Pass, Sgt. Renfrew of the RCMP and Big Bobby Clobber, a hockey player who had received too many pucks to the head.
Broadfoot began hitting stages soon after serving in the navy during the Second World War. He honed his act in an embryonic Canadian entertainment industry, playing all manner of gigs from coffee shops, restaurants and clubs, producing his own variety-style cabarets or appearing at established festivals like Stratford or the Spring Thaw, the annual revue of performers that ran in Toronto for a quarter century beginning in the late 1960s.
Known for his genial satire and Canadiana-laced content, he took shows to the people with titles like Take a Beaver to Lunch. Upon meeting John Cleese of Monty Python in the late 1970s, the British comedian immediately remembered Broadfoot for his Clap Hands show, which toured England in the early 1960s.
Broadfoot was a fixture on the CBC shows long before his tenure on Air Farce, on television with the Big Revue in the 1950s and on radio with Funny You Should Say That.
After leaving Air Farce, Broadfoot was able to tap into the more mature Canadian comedy circuit, making appearances at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal, where he had also spent several years performing
He was awarded a pair of Geminis, for his 1998 comedy special, Old Enough To Say What I Want, and two years later for Old Dog, New Tricks.
He published his autobiography, also entitled Old Enough To Say What I Want, in 2002.
In 2003, Broadfoot was presented with the Governor General's Performing Arts Award.
Today we lost not only Dave Broadfoot but Sgt Renfrew, Big Bobby Clobber, the Member for Kicking Horse pass & countless others. Huge loss.
— @markcritch
Dave Broadfoot, Royal Canadian Air Farce comedian, dead at 90
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