Cancer is a vicious disease and, on December 20, a rare and particularly virulent form, sarcoma, claimed another victim. Greg Hebert was a well-known Ottawa radio personality. He'd been a fixture on CFRA, the city's news/talk radio station, for years. Beginning his career as a news reader, he quickly showed an aptitude for business news. At first, he read the morning business reports. Barely into his 30s, he became the host of Business@Night, the station's daily one-hour Monday-to-Friday business news program.

In my own profession, my work formerly consisted of summarizing a set schedule of radio and TV shows. For several years, Business@Night was one of them. I remember Greg Hebert would often have to interview executives with years, even decades, more experience than his own. I never got the impression he was out of his league. He handled such one-on-ones quite deftly. He even had a solid repertoire with two of the show's regular contributors, one a markets commentator, the other a regular Friday guest with whom he'd review the week's business news. His youth simply wasn't a factor in the conversations he had with these gentlemen, each of whom had vast experience that came through in both their knowledge and their voices.

The station seemed to concur with this view. At age 33, Greg Hebert was promoted to being the station's business editor. It was shortly thereafter that he was hit with the devastating diagnosis, one of several he'd get. Operations he'd undergo would remove the cancer, but it would inevitably return. The station's morning man related a personal story about Mr. Hebert the day after his death. It spoke to his character, and went along these lines:

Greg Hebert and his wife, just prior to the first time they learned of his cancer, had bought a home and he'd embarked on a major renovation. The house was now in complete chaos and he was physically unable to complete the work. It troubled him greatly. This past October, in what would be his final visit to the station — he'd been on medical leave for two and a half years but still did the occasional interview — he spoke movingly about how a local church group, aware of his predicament, had pitched in to complete the renovations, alleviating him of the one lingering concern he'd had for his wife. Knowing the house was now in order and that his wife wouldn't be burdened with the chore following his death was all he'd wanted to ensure. His own circumstances were secondary.

I can't convey the utter respect with which his on-air colleague so eloquently told that story. Admittedly, it did, and still does, resonate with me. Greg Hebert was 37 when he died. I earn 20 points for the hit and 5 bonus points for the solo, for a total of 25 points.

— Allen Kirshner