Percy Saltzman Canada’s First Weatherman

Remembering Percy Saltzman: Canada’s First Weatherman

On a walk through York Cemetery in North Toronto, I visited the grave of Percy Saltzman—a trailblazing meteorologist and one of Canada’s most beloved television personalities. He is best remembered as the first weatherman in Canadian television history.

Percy was a true pioneer in weather broadcasting. He was the first Canadian to present forecasts using satellite and radar imagery, and he regularly delivered road and forest fire reports—long before such features became standard. Viewers fondly recall his trademark chalk toss at the end of each segment, a gesture that became iconic.

Born in Winnipeg on March 11, 1915, Saltzman graduated from McGill University and held a variety of jobs before moving to Toronto in 1937. A decade later, he joined the Dominion Weather Service in 1947, which ultimately led to his role with the newly launched CBC Television in 1952.

One of his proudest professional moments came in July 1969. Alongside broadcaster Lloyd Robertson, Saltzman co-hosted ten days of coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing for CBC—a dream assignment for any meteorologist and a landmark event in television history.

In 1972, Percy left the CBC and became a co-host of Canada AM, CTV’s new morning show. His versatile career later included work with CITY-TV, Global TV, CBC Radio, CKEY, and CFRB.

Throughout his career, Saltzman earned numerous accolades: the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, membership in the Order of Canada, and induction into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Percy Saltzman passed away in Toronto on January 15, 2007, at the age of 91. His contributions to meteorology and broadcasting remain an enduring legacy.

Bye the way, after thousands of weather reports, Percy claimed he only dropped the chalk once.

1915-2007