Alvin Shayne Cader

My dear brother❤️‍🩹I was so looking forward to wishing you a happy 77th birthday on the 30th of September💔Your memory is eternal and I know we will see each other on the other side🙏❤️‍🩹😇Bless you my dear brother🙏💯

Alvin’s one of a kind presence is unforgettable. His visits to my desk in the CBC parliamentary bureau always came with some unexpected flamboyance that more often than not ended with laughter. He vibrated joy and, let’s be honest, that allowed him to say and do things no one else could get away with. When I told Alvin I was pregnant, he dropped to his knees and kissed my belly!!!! An authentic, if unorthodox , expression of happiness for me. His genuine interest in people and what mattered to them made him a strong journalist who made all of us who worked with him better. To his family, I am so sorry for your loss. May his memory be a blessing.

I am saddened to hear of the passing of a dear friend. Sincere condolences to Nadia and the family, your loss must be immesurable. Alvin was generous to a fault… when I returned to Montreal after the end of a relationship, he and Nadia opened their home to me. It’s what friends do. And his sense of humour was legendary, he knew how to break the stress after a long tense day in the newsroom. There are few friendships that mark you for a lifetime, and I am profoundly grateful to have been his friend. He was truly one of a kind, and the world feels a little dimmer without his laughter. My thoughts, love, and prayers are with you, Nadia, Jordan, Kahlil, and all your family.

Dear Nadia. Joan and I were shocked to hear of Alvin’s untimely passing. As you know , Alvin and I were friends and colleagues, and even had the opportunity to teach together.
Unfortunately we will be in Toronto this weekend and will be unable to attend the celebration of life ceremony.But I will try to connect with you in the near future.
With sincere condolences
Ian Sadinsky and Joan Bercovitch

Alvin Cader used to joke with clients that our consulting partnership had lasted longer than many marriages. He was right. Like good marriages perhaps opposites attract and mature. Alvin, with his over-the-top enthusiasm played against my straight man conservatism. More than a decade of telling people what they should do in public was not without some private differences between us. Nothing that couldn’t be worked out and smoothed over. And so we did. Together we successfully fought off a legal challenge, built a ´boutiqué business from nothing and served hundreds of satisfied clients. On top of that we had a lot of fun together. I’ll let others recount hilarious anecdotes about Alvie. To me I’ll just remember a man who was my friend and partner at an important career change in both of our lives.

Oh my gosh!! I’m stunned and saddened. I met Alvie in Montreal in 1983. He was among a talented and notoriously cantankerous group of journalists who I admired and was inspired by. I was the new wide eyed sports reporter and he nicknamed me “Richie” for Richie Cunningham of ‘Happy Days’ and you know what, I didn’t mind. It was a sign of affection. Alvin came to our wedding and we remained good pals until our careers went in directions – his to Ottawa, mine to Toronto…and lost touch though there were occasional wishes exchanged here. He was a fine journalist, didn’t tolerate bullshit and loved to laugh. Lynn and I send our deepest sympathies to Nadia and the kids. May he rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing. 😔

Alvin was truly a gem. Gone too soon. Sympathies to his family.

Our world is quieter, sadder, emptier and a lot less funny without Alvie’s brilliant and all encompassing life force. How lucky I was to call him my big brother for more than 40 years, and to be enfolded into his beautiful family.

I had the honour and the pleasure of “managing” Alvie. Truth is, he managed all of us with his wit, “sechel”(wisdom), and more intensity than any newsroom might be expected to handle. We called him “Kinetic” Cader because he was truly a man in perpetual motion. Thanks Alvie for the pleasure of working with you. A true mensch!

You could say Alvin was foisted upon me when he showed up at our offices at Transport Canada in the late 1990s after being “recommended” to us by the Minister’s office. Alvin immediately sensed my discomfort (a public servant wanting to avoid any perceived political influence over hiring), but within 20 minutes he had won me over with his sharp wit and authenticity. Thus began a wonderful professional relationship with Alvin as the master storyteller, one of very few people who made my red editing pen redundant. His talent perhaps shone brightest in his captivating booklet called Four Days In September, a first-person account of Transport Canada employees who re-wrote the aviation rules over period of four days following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. I never felt prouder of anything in my long public-service career. We shared many great belly laughs together over golf, lunches or when I’d drop by his downtown office to seek his counsel or just chat, all too infrequently it now feels. Alvin embraced and celebrated every aspect of life, no better way for all of us to live in the short time we have. Miss you Alvie!

I am absolutely stunned. Alvin was one of the first people I met in that wild, colourful, talented, crazy CBC Radio Montreal newsroom in 1978. He was a great reporter, an esteemed colleague,a patient mentor and a loyal friend. That newsroom was filled to the gunnels with talented, capable nut cases. Cynthia Kinch, Patrick Brown, John Yorston, Doug Hamilton, Laurent Lavigne, Charlie Gursky, John Hancock, Victor Steinberg, Clary Potty, Alec Bollini,Tom Harrington, Ivan Slobod…..Oh, gawd, have I forgotten anybody???! We all loved what we did. We loved reporting honestly and clearly, and we loved one another….we had each others’ backs. It was beyond a pleasure coming to “work”. I could make Alvin laugh, but I don’t think he gave himself enough credit for making other people laugh. He had a wicked, CRUDE, slightly anarchic sense of humour. Energy was his middle name. He called me “Davie” and I looked up to him like an older brother. We talked on the phone often. Long conversations. Lots of laughter. Lots of stories. DAMMIT! I just spoke to him a month ago. He was still full of piss and vinegar. Riding the bike and working hard. Nadia, my battered heart goes out to you, Jonathan, Khalil and the rest of the family. I’ve lost a brother. LOVE and greatest sympathy. Dave

I am deeply saddened to learn of Alvie’s passing. We first met in Winnipeg both covering the failed Meech Lake Accord – a time of political turmoil. Alvie was a font of knowledge who sweated and stressed over every world as he typed furiously to meet a deadline. Yet when that voice went to air it was smooth, authorative and accurate. His humour and stories were legendary. I always enjoyed sharing a meal when our CBC paths crossed many times over the years. My deepest condolences to all his family and friends. Rest in Peace, Alvie.

I can’t believe Alvie is gone. He made an indelible mark everywhere he worked or played, and was a truly unforgettable force of nature. We first met as competitors on the radio news beat in Montreal almost 50 years ago, and as the “new kid” he sort of adopted me out there. Then we worked together for six years at CBC Montreal, in a raucous radio newsroom that featured legendary battles, including one in which Alvie threw his tape recorder at a beleaguered colleague, narrowly missing his ear. We parted ways in the late 80’s when I moved to Vancouver, but still managed to see each other every now and then. Last June, Alvie barbecued steaks in his backyard as I visited he and Nadia at their home. The stories and tales went on and on that night and I was looking forward to sharing more on my next trip east, but now that won’t happen. You can say people will be missed, but for Alvie that loss will last a long, long time. He was an uber-mensch among mensches from CBC Montreal and the Ottawa media scene. My sincerest condolences to Nadia and his wonderful family. We will not see his likes again.

Alvie was a terrific broadcast journalist, he was always looking to make any story he was working on better- more complete, more accessible.

Together we covered Québec politics – the Trudeau, Lévesque, Bourassa and Mulroney decades. We covered leadership races, provincial and federal elections. He was determined to get stories on the air and he would push, push, push to make sure they were right and on deadline. Watching Alvie work a source was good entertainment because most of the time the source had no idea they were giving up information they were supposed to protect.
I remember sitting in my Montreal living room listening to him work a source over the phone. His voice was low, i could hear him disarming the person on the end of the line. Alvie was a master.

He must have caused some troubles.

My condolences to Nadia, family and friends.

Alvin, my ho my, quel personnage, j’aimais tellement Alvin. C’était un homme d’une parole, “je dis ce que je pense et pense ce que je dis”. Ça C’était Alvin !
Mes sincères condoléances à ses proches et aux membres des familles endeuillées par cette triste nouvelle. Bon courage à vous tous et toutes.

Alvie loved humanity. And the humanity in his orbit could not help but love him back.
The proof is on these pages.
It hurts to lose someone like Alvie.
His loving kindness and (intellectual) honesty shone brightly.
He communicated his essence to everyone, using his not so secret weapons, humour and laughter. I did not spend a huge amount of time with him. But there was a bond there, and one together with Nadia. Nadia, my heart goes out to you, and to Jordan and Khalill and to everyone who loved this man.
The best way I can honour him is to follow his example of love, kindness, honesty and laughter.

I will miss that joyous bark, the “between-you-and-me” conversations in his outside voice, and Alvie’s whirlwind mind and manner.

Nadia and boys – I cannot imagine the immense hole Alvie has left in your lives. I only know that every conversation with him – even if we were trying to solve the world’s problems – included time to share his pride and love for each of you.

We loved you and miss you already. We are very sad. Condolences Nadia. Hopefully we will cross paths again soon. Possibly in Hawaii again.

Oh, my dear Alvin, I’m so very sad to hear this news.
My good friend of so many years, we shared so many laughs, interesting political conversations, and countless days of media training together. You were always a bright ray of sunshine in our days.

Your wonderful sense of humour, your kindness, your professionalism, your love for your family and your passion for travelling , music — all of these things made you such a special person.

You will be sorely missed, my dear friend. I feel very fortunate to have known you and to have shared so many wonderful memories with you.

Rest peacefully, Alvin. ❤️

Alvin was a rare tornado who turned each connection from humour, through intense discussions and back again. His quick wit, “file cabinet memory” for facts and his passion for everything – particularly his family – made every interaction a joy. He added light to all of our lives.

I was surprised and shocked to hear of Alvie’s passing. He was a great journalist, and more important, a great human being. May his memory be a blessing. Mike Duffy

Alvie remains vivid in my mind even though it’s been decades since we worked side by side in the Parliamentary bureau. He was fiercely committed to his work, to ensuring that he knew the story beyond the story, always digging for more information and context. He brought so much energy to our small team in the press building. And the jokes! Nadia, I’m so sorry you’ve lost him and your sons have lost their father. But everyone who knew him and loved him will keep him alive in memories and stories of the man he was.

Alvin was the most amazing friend, cheerleader and confidant. Life was better when he was around. I loved hearing about Nadia and his family. I am so grateful to have reconnected with him last winter. He will be missed. Condolences to all who loved him.

As many others have mentioned, Alvie could light up any room with his wit and sense of humour. I most remember his uncanny impersonation of Jean Chretien, which could fool the man himself. A truly lovely man and a fine journalist. Condolences to the family.

Alvin was a genuinely funny person — sarcastic, perceptive and sardonic, but never cruel. But he was also a good and empathetic listener. I will always remember chatting with him about a big challenge I was I was facing. He listened patiently for about an hour, at the corner of Sparks and Bank, long after most rush hour commuters were gone. “Oy, you’ve got tsouris,“ he said. That street corner conversation was not only cathartic for me; it gave me a measure of courage to carry on. Alvin was not just a talented and brilliant clown; he was a good person. To Nadia, Khalil, Jordan and the whole family: Please accept my and Marty’s sympathy and condolences. May his memory sustain you, and may it be for a blessing.

I am shocked. Alvin was so full of life and enthusiasm that it is hard to imagine that he is gone. My deepest condolences to his family.

Over the course of a long life and interesting career, I have had the good fortune of meeting and working with so many wonderful and talented people, one of whom was Alvin. I have no additional words to add to the kind and thoughtful tributes I have read so far.
Shalom, Cher Alvin. It was good to have known you.

Alvie was blessed with an irrepressible personality. He was smart, quick witted, kind and compassionate. He was an excellent journalist and a fun person to hang out with on the campaign trail. Whenever I ran into him after he left journalism, I walked away with a smile on my face. Gone too soon. Condolences to the family. Bob Fife

I first met Alvin nearly 20 years ago, when he and Peter Daniels arrived at Ottawa U to provide some training. I was instantly drawn to Alvin’s character, curiosity and wit. In more recent years, we had our weekly “Ladies Night” golf foursome with “Lynnie” and “Mike the Mountie” at Greyhawk. There was always a story, often delivered from the tee box and occasionally we would stay afterwards for “Nosh”. While some days the golf may have been “joyless”, Alvie always showed up for the camaraderie and laughs.
When Tammy was first introduced to golf with Alvin, I told her to be prepared for her interview. Surprised, Tammy asked why she would be interviewed, and I explained that this was how Alvin the consummate journalist got to know people, by asking a lot of questions. Tammy passed the interview and they became good pals. Alvie would always ask after Tammy and our family and always took great interest in people’s lives.
Nadia, Alvin loved you so and was so grateful for your care and support this past year. You both worked very hard and Alvin was so looking forward to showing you the Rockies. Nadia, Jordan and Khalil, Alvin loved you and your families unconditionally and with great pride, and would often share stories about you and his grandchildren. Our heartfelt condolences for your loss. He was one of a kind and we will always remember his kindness and spirit.

Dear Alvin, irrepressible, exploding when outraged by the many mendacities of our world, quick to laugh and to forgive.
It’s wonderful to read all the loving things everyone has said about Alvin, but so sad that those expressions come after this tremendous loss.
I can hear your laugh as I remember you, and I’m glad your dear family had you for as long as they did.
We all miss you; but we’ll see you again!

We both worked alongside Alvin in the raucous CBC Montreal newsroom that Bill Amos so vividly described, Denis in radio and Susan in television. Legendary battles indeed, but wonderful times for journalism and camaraderie. Susan also worked with Alvin on several Burke Cader projects in Ottawa in the early 2000s. We had not been in touch with Alvin since then, but we have fond memories of the stories we covered and the work we did together. Along with our son, Julien Lord (who played basketball with Jordan in Ottawa), we send sincere condolences to family and friends. May your memories of happy times with Alvin be of comfort to you now.
Susan, Denis and Julien

I met Alvin some of years ago through a friend at the golf club. I always enjoyed my time with Alvin and his curiosity was evidence of his interest in other humans and history. Alvin would make us laugh at every golf outing, which became weekly. I already miss him.

Nadia, Alvin always spoke of you during our golfing activities and it was evident that he loved you very much. I wish you and your family much courage during this difficult time.

Michael

I was there virtually for the today’s celebration of Alvin’s life. He and I go way way back…we were pals…worked together at CBC radio…he even lived right across the street from me in Montreal at one point. We were out of touch for quite awhile…as we built careers and lives…but we reconnected not so long ago…and it was like we never left each other. The service today was very meaningful…and I got to see what a rich life Alvin had…with Nadia and everyone else in their family. I will miss him. He meant a lot to me.

What a Beautiful service , I am Eden’s mom and Khalil’s mom (2) , I always say to Khalil, he’s my dear Son n law whom I love very much .I’m so sorry we, my husband ( Ron) & I ( Linda) couldn’t be there.living such a distance , but I’m grateful I was able to watch & listen to such wonderful heartfelt stories told by everyone especially his family & lifelong friends . I only met Alvin at our children’s wedding and remember how kind he was and how “Over the moon happy he was for them!” He made sure to tell me how much they loved Eden! I felt the same for Khalil “That stuck with me & the phrase over the moon! . I loved his outfit! And thought” this is a man who has a great style and character!” He does what he wants and loves what he does! With a nice ensemble and hat to top it off ! . I feel we have something’s in common , I too wear my heart on my sleeve, also a silly heart that can embarrass? and feel making time with family, Eden Khalil & Joni is truly most important to me in my life ! He was blessed to have such a good family around him often and they were blessed as well to have him ❤️again I’m so sorry for such a sudden loss of your lifelong companion Nadia and all the family and friends. Thank you all for sharing this online it was a blessing to hear stories of this beautiful person and human being. God bless you all , I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers with each day to come 🙏🏻, keep on sharing with each other and don’t hold anything in, with much Love, Linda & Ron Vassallo

I worked with Alvin at the CBC Parliamentary Bureau. I remember once talking about making latkes. He said his recipe was the best. To this very day, I use his recipe every time. He was right. His was the best.
I’m sorry I could not make it today. My deepest sympathies.
Brenda Levy

It’s hard to imagine that a life so full of energy has come to an end. Alvin was part of a terrific Montreal newsroom way back when, and was always a force that lit the place with unstoppable joie de vivre, not to mention smarts. His presence in our Ottawa bureau was another tour de force. I watched the celebration of life this afternoon and was not surprised that so many people considered themselves lucky to have known him. Count me in too.

Once the shock at the news subsides, the memories flood in. They go back four decades but no less vivid. Wonderfully twisted sense of humour. Quick wit. Smart and cutting commentary. Furrowed brow when thinking. Hilarious guffaw. Fast runner (Montreal newsroom softball). All round nice guy. Condolences to his family. He is and will be missed by a lot of people.

I first met Alvin and his then-young family in the 90s at Congregation Beth Shalom downtown. I had heard “…this is Alvin Cader reporting from Ottawa,” many times over the years, so I was keen to meet the person behind the voice and happy to find him so pleasant and engaging. Some years later he was my extremely helpful media relations coach at Finance, and then again at OSFI. I learned many important lessons from him, and shared them with colleagues over the years. But perhaps the most lasting of those lessons was in the way that, no matter how busy we were, he always made time to connect at a personal level and catch up on our lives. Vey iz mir…

I’m so sorry to hear this news. I was regularly in contact with Alvie when I worked the night assignment desk at National Radio News, decades ago. He was smart, funny, and sarcastic… three qualities that can help one survive the pace and stress of the business we were in. Rest in Peace, Alvie.

Where to begin. I first ran into (literally) Alvin during a student sit-in at Sir George Williams (now Concordia) in late 1967. For the next four years we were inseparable, embarking at the drop of a hint on hitchhiking marathons that took us to Cape Breton Island and back and then to the West Coast and back twice. Full disclosure: not all the travelling was by thumb. In 1969, we got out to Vancouver without too much difficulty. Getting back home to Montreal proved to be a tad more challenging. After copping a ride just east of Winnipeg in a car we soon found out had been stolen earlier that evening that was later dumped into a reservoir near Dryden (we managed to get out in time), we switched tactics and decided to try hopping freight trains instead. On the first attempt, we managed to clamber onto a open freight car, only to discover it was being shunted to a spur line, where we were greeted by a hard-nosed railway policeman who threatened to arrest us and send us to a work farm for a month. Instead of his usual game-cock response to situations like this, Alvin (who happened to be wearing my SGWU jacket) took an entirely different tack, explaining that, far from being vagrants and ne’er-do-wells, we were just a couple of university students who had gone seeking work to pay tuition fees and were now heading home so we could get back to classes. Against all odds, (Alvin at that time resembled a Jewish Jimminy Cricket and I looked like washed-up Messiah), he relented and even gave us a valuable freight hopping trick (aim for the second diesel unit and not the first because that one contains the engineer and fireman in it, and stay away from any of the rolling stock because those cars are always checked). He then pointed out the main line and wished us good luck. It worked because we both managed to swing ourselves and our rucksacks aboard and made a beeline for the enclosed cab, where we spent the next 16 hours enjoying an unparalleled and totally illegal view of the fields, lakes and forests of Northern and then Eastern Ontario before we jumped off somewhere near Verdun and took a city bus to my mum’s house.
In 1970, we were back in Vancouver looking at the job board at UBC when we saw a notice that Good Humor Corp was looking for Good Humor men to sell ice cream in Pittsburgh and were even offering free plane tickets. We figured it was a good way to get back home (in a roundabout way)so a day later, we were flying to Pittsburgh. For free. We spent the next two months selling Goodie Bars , mostly in the Projects , before Alvin pulled an Alvin and ended up getting fired, so we decided ended up barnstorming our way back to Vancouver in a beat-up F85 before deciding it wouldn’t be a bad idea to head back east in self-same vehicle. We got as far as southern Ontario before he managed to skid off a perfectly straight stretch of road and executed a perfect rollover into a ravine, bringing to an end yet another grand but more or less bootless adventure.
All good things must come to an end and our close association took a mortal blow when Alvin decided to join the Journalism program at Ryerson (and the Journalism world became immeasurably enriched as a result) while I returned to Sir George. Apart from a stellar turn as my (Jewish) best man at my (Roman Catholic) wedding, we never did see much of one another (apart from the occasional phone call and Gmail message.) Having been given an utterly dismal cancer prognosis (six to 10 months), it was my intention to re-establish contact so we could share some stories and trade some anecdotes. Guess that ain’t gonna happen now.
Thanks for the memories.
R.B. (aka Bud)