Founded in 1980 by the late Chopper McKinnon, Canadian Spaces is Canada's longest-running folk/roots radio show. The show is currently hosted by a collective consisting of Teresa Bandrowska, Anne-Marie Brugger, Ray Harris, Carolyn Sutherland and Chris White. The show is broadcast on Saturdays from 10 to noon Eastern on CKCU FM 93.1 (Ottawa) and online on www.ckcufm.com.
Canadian Spaces has enriched the community in countless ways over the years, helping musicians from across the country develop their careers and share their music and stories, and making significant events happen in the community. Based on the strong support from the show's loyal listeners (the 'Space Cadets') during Funding Drive and throughout the year, Chris White and former CKCU station manager Max Wallace founded the Ottawa Folk Festival in 1993. In 2012, under the leadership of the late Bob Nesbitt, that festival gave birth to the Ottawa Grassroots Festival which will celebrate its 12th edition in April, 2025.
