'rip buck shot and thank you': calgary tv legend ron barge dies
ron ‘buck shot’ barge influenced the direction of child...
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ron "buck shot" barge, is shown with his puppets benny and clyde in 2015. postmedia archive photo.
christina ryan
/
calgary herald
ron ‘buck shot’ barge influenced the direction of children’s television for three decades, left a lasting impression on generations of calgarians and became a local icon before passing away this weekend. buck shot was 87.
for 30 years starting in 1967, the irrepressible and unforgettable barge was part of almost every calgary kid’s tv watch list.
with songs, skits and puppets including benny the bear, barge brought levity into the living rooms of families for three decades before the show was cancelled. it was the longest-running children’s tv show in canadian history at the time.
barge’s impact on the city could be felt in myriad ways over the years. photos of barge are part of the digital collection at the university of calgary and calgarians have done everything from suggesting a bridge be named after him to petitioning city hall to build a statue honouring him.
“this guy has been in our living rooms for 30 years, we just thought it would be great to honour him,” a petition organizer karen durrie said in 2015. “there’s a lot of overwhelmingly warm memories of him out there.”
at the time, barge said he was flattered and humbled by the gesture: “i’m just amazed and honoured it’s even being suggested.”
ron barge in the early years of the buck shot show. calgary herald archive photo.
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honours for barge have continued as recently as this year. in may, barge’s famous cowboy hat (undersized, slightly tattered and with turned-up sides) became part of an exhibit at the new sam centre, the stampede facility that showcases its artifacts. the centre includes a wall of famous cowboy hats, including one worn by barge.
buck shot’s guitar has also made an appearance at studio bell, where his daughter cindy barge wrote the following tribute: “the true impact of how much he meant to kids, and even their parents, didn’t hit until we became older. to see kids’ eyes light up when they saw him, and see adults turn back into kids when they met him; it was a beautiful sight.
“to this day we still see that reaction from adults and it is beyond heartwarming.”
on saturday evening, brenda barge wrote on social media, “with great sadness we have lost our dear dad ron ‘buckshot’ barge who passed away at home surrounded by family and laughter. we will miss him.”
as news of barge’s passing spread, fans took to social media to express condolences to his loved ones and thanked him for years of entertainment.
“i grew up with him and benny. rip buck shot and thank you,” wrote one fan.
in 2017, barge celebrated the 50th anniversary of the year his show first hit the airwaves. at that time, the show hadn’t been on tv for two decades, but he still had legions of fans.
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“it’s hard to believe, really,” barge said of his 30-year run on tv. “we didn’t know if we’d make it for a week at that point when we started.”
barge had been a studio manager at the local ctv station, cfcn, when he thought of the idea for a children’s show. there were new rules in place that were limiting american programs; the crtc wanted more canadian shows. so, barge pitched his idea and got the go-ahead.
just 10 days later, barge took on the buck shot character for the first time on tv, along with jim lewis, the person behind the beloved puppets such as benny and clyde the owl. the two kept kids entertained with songs and dialogue on the improvised show until it was cancelled in 1997. (lewis died of cancer in 2023.)
“there wasn’t a script or anything with the show,” barge told postmedia in 2007. “we would basically go in there with an idea for a format, and we’d wing it. we (he and lewis) had a good idea what we were doing. we knew we had to fill up the show, and we’d play another song, or something like that.”
local kids who appeared on the buck shot show included laureen teskey harper, wife of former prime minister stephen harper.
“my teacher knew buckshot and arranged for us to tour the tv studio and we sang smokie the bear on the show live,” she said in a social media post on sunday. “buckshot was a lovely man and was kind and generous to our turner valley elementary school grade 2 class.”
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wrestling star bret ‘the hitman’ hart wrote in a past column that buck shot also left a lasting impression on him: “i met buck shot many times over the years, mostly when i was a kid hanging around cfcn, and he was always as gentle and kind as he was on tv.”
former calgary mayor naheed nenshi wrote on x (twitter) that he never got to be on the buck shot show when he was a kid, “but always got a thrill” when he would meet him around town as an adult. “we are so grateful for your legacy,” nenshi wrote.
alberta premier danielle smith posted on facebook, “it is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of a true alberta legend and beloved children’s entertainer, ron ‘buck shot’ barge. for decades, buck shot and his sidekick benny the bear brought joy, laughter and countless memories to generations of children and families across alberta . . . thank you for all the smiles and laughter.”
from 1967-1992, the show aired daily at noon, while from 1992 to 1997, it could be seen on saturday and sunday mornings.
“i’m just so happy it went as well as it did for us on the air, and the people still remember it fondly and they want to come and say hello,” barge said in 2017.
his family said sunday that barge is survived by his beautiful wife shirley; his children ken barge, angie barge, brenda barge, cindy barge and their significant others; and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
ron barge was a supporter of many local charities and events over the years. he’s pictured here as a judge at one of eric francis’s pizza pigout fundraisers, in 2013. darren makowichuk/postmedia calgary.
ron ‘buck shot’ barge with the beloved benny the bear puppet. calgary herald archives.
calgary herald
ron ‘buck shot’ barge, in 2012. calgary sun file photo.
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