Front Porch Al
Alan Maitland auditioned for the CBC as a singer in 1947. But he was hired as an announcer, and stayed for 46 years, contributing to programs such as On the Move, Children's Stories, Action Set, Centennial Diary, Matinee and more. In 1974 he joined As It Happens as co-host. During that time he became known affectionately as Fireside Al and Front Porch Al, tempting listeners to pull up a chair to the fire or on the porch (depending on the season) and listen. He read stories by a long list of authors, and they were a delight for audiences, whether the story was a humorous or a poignant one. His reading of The Shepherd, by Frederick Forsythe, has become a Christmas Eve tradition on As It Happens.
1 radio clips
The Great Election in Missinaba County
Broadcast Date: July 1, 1993
A recounting by Alan Maitland of the tale of an election in the imaginary county of Missinaba, in the Dominion of Canada, as viewed by the twinkling eye of Stephen Leacock. Liberal incumbent John Henry Bagshaw finds himself in a battle with Conservative Josh Smith, the proprietor of Smith's Hotel, with independent Edward Drone quietly working away at his own bid. The great day brings victory to one party and its candidate, and the inhabitants of Missinaba and the town of Mariposa are high-spirited in their celebration of the judiciousness of their choice.The Great Election in Missinaba County
• Stephen Butler Leacock was born in England on Dec. 30, 1869, and came with his parents to Canada when he was six years old. They settled on a farm on the shore of Lake Simcoe.
• Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, published in 1912, is the fictional account of Mariposa, located on Lake Wissanotti. He modelled the town on Orillia, where he spent summers as a boy, and it is perhaps his best known work.
Stpehen Leacock's The Great Election in Missinaba County
Medium: Radio
Program: As It Happens
Broadcast Date: July 1, 1993
Narrator: Alan Maitland
Duration: 19:13
Last updated:
Aug. 12, 2009
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6 clips in this topic . page
Radio
19:13
Front Porch Al reads the Stephen Leacock classic The Great Election in Missinaba County, from Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.
Radio
16:30
A tale of an observant cat, called Tobermory, written by Saki and read by Front Porch Al.
As It Happens
The Great Election in Missinaba County.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: Aug. 12, 2009.
[Page consulted on March 21, 2010.]