BRADLEY KARP

“Fort McMurray is the land of opportunity! No matter what you want to do, you can do it here and make a big impact.”

He may be the funniest guy on Alberta radio. He certainly has the quickest sense of humour, his wryness and dry wit have been winning him fans ever since he took over the morning show on Country 93.3 from the previous guy. “I’m a little shocked to be on this list,” he said.

Because of his position as the voice of Fort McMurray, he is one of the most important drivers of charity in the community. Take one example: There was one particular family that lost their house for a second time to a fire. Brad and the radio station did a toy drive for the two young daughters. It took only two days for the community to respond, donating enough to fill a storage unit.

The Ice Drive for the SPCA was another example Brad remembers about the generosity of the community, without acknowledging his own part in keeping the drive going. In fact, much of what you see the radio guys do goes unacknowledged. Brad is up early to get to the station for 5:30 a.m. After the show, there are usually charitable gigs to be done or corporate events.

Weekends are especially busy, and Brad is hard-pressed to count the number of charities the station supports, more than 20 at a conservative estimate. Radio is also still very important in this town; the long commutes to work provide captive audiences and this ability to reach and influence the community makes them so important.

Born in Montreal, Brad has only been here three years, but they have been an eventful time. In his spare time, he volunteers for Santas Anonymous and the Food Bank. “YMM is the land of opportunity. No matter what you want to do, you can do it here and make a big impact.”