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Ernie Afaganis

Bell Memorial - Inducted 1977

The name Ernie Afaganis is synonymous with sport the world over. He joined CBC Edmonton in 1961, after nine years in private radio and ten months of freelancing. Always available to high schools for speaking engagements, he also speaks at an average of fifty dinners and banquets per year - gratis - for amateur sports and charitable groups. Coverage and promotion of amateur sports has always been a part of his career. En route to becoming one of Canada's premier sportscasters, he has covered world rowing, amateur wrestling, Silver Broom Brier Curling, Arctic Games, World Figure Skating, World Gymnastics, National Junior Football finals and College Football finals, plus many more events.

After Induction

1988 - CFL Hall of Fame - Football Reporters of Canada section

1988 - Hellenic World Hall of Fame

1991 - Lethbridge Hall of Fame

2001 - Lifetime Award - Sports Media Canada

2007 - CBC Sports Hall of Fame

2010 - Eastern Washington University - Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame - Service and Contribution Award

 

Ernie Afaganis was the most recognized voice of the CFL from 1955 to 1980. He covered summer and winter Olympic Games from 1968 to 1996. From 1974 to 1994, he was on the broadcast crews for the Pan Am Games, Commonwealth Games and Canada Games. Ernie broadcast the Canadian Open Golf championship from 1961 to 1986, Montreal Expos Baseball and NHL playoffs in the 1980's and the Calgary Stampede from 1979 to 2000. His list of broadcast accomplishments also includes World Basketball Championships, World Curling Championships and international hockey games. For 26 years, he hosted the popular Par 27 Golf Show.

 

Ernie served as president of the CFL Writers and Broadcasters Association and was named to the CFL Hall of Fame in 1988. He was inducted into the Lethbridge Hall of Fame in 1991 and the CBC Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He received Sports Media Canada's Lifetime Award in 2001. Ernie graduated from Eastern Washington University in 1952 and received their Service and Contribution Award in 2010.

 

More Information:

Ernie was an outstanding golfer at Eastern Washington University. In 1950, he was selected to the Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.

  • Ernie was born in Lethbridge in 1933.
  • He attended elementary school through High School there.
  • BA from Eastern Washington University (Cheney)
  • Began his broadcasting career at CFRN in Edmonton in 1953. 
  • Eight years later he joined CBC Edmonton and became one of Canada's most popular broadcasters.