In 2015, CIVL, UFV’s campus radio station, lost two cherished volunteers in less than three months.
In March of that year, they lost Chuck Anger. The Boogety Shoo Blues Show host was known throughout Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley as an involved member of the community, and as a music lover and patron. He had suffered from ongoing health problems.
Shortly after in May, Dakota Leslie, who was a volunteer at CIVL from 2014 to 2015 and the host of CIVL’s The Generation Z Show, was struck by a vehicle while longboarding with friends. The incident occurred just days before CIVL was set to broadcast from their new studio in the Student Union Building on UFV’s Abbotsford campus.
Neither individual was able to broadcast from the new facility. So, CIVL felt they needed a way to keep their legacies alive within the new space.
On Thursday, Oct. 19, CIVL Radio broadcasted a live dedication in their office to recognize the passing of the two volunteers, and to thank them for their work at CIVL. The station announced last week that their broadcasting studio would be christened the “Anger-Leslie Broadcast Studio” in memory of the two. Leslie’s family attended the studio to witness the occasion.
Two days before ceremony took place, Canadian music legend Gord Downie of the tragically hip died at the age of 53. Aaron Levy, CIVL Radio station manager, took a moment to acknowledge Downie’s passing, and his impact on Canadian music before commencing with the dedication.
The dedication was in affiliation with the Fraser Valley Music Awards (FVMAs), and by extension, the second annual FVMA Battle of the Bands. The champion of this year’s Battle of the Bands will be named the Dakota Leslie Live Performer of the Year. Levy said CIVL is proud to host the second annual FVMAs. During last year’s event, the station was contacted by Leslie’s sister, who explained that the Leslie family wanted to make a generous contribution to the Fraser Valley Music Awards. In hopes of supporting local music and arts in the Fraser Valley, they made a $750 donation to the CIVL FVMA Battle of the Bands. The money they donated became the grand prize for the competition. This year, CIVL will match the $750 for the winner of this year’s Dakota Leslie Live Performer of the Year award.
Recognizing and remembering the legacy of Chuck Anger and Dakota Leslie by dedicating the CIVL studio is a symbolic and meaningful action. As attendees placed the plaque on the studio door, Levy asked listeners to “Think about the impact we can make in our communities, the impact our communities have on us, the support they need from us to keep them going, and those we’ve lost and want to keep appreciating.”
The dedication was concluded by the studio playing the song “Simple Man” by shinedown in Dakota’s memory. The song was chosen by members of the Leslie family as a way to best represent their relative.
