Blues-based radio program in Orillia wins national award, international fans

Lorne Vansinclair won this year's National Community Radio Association's ‘Blues or Similar Music Show of the Year.' Wed., May 12, 2026. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Lorne Vansinclair is not only the master of blues airwaves in his own home, he’s gone global.

Thanks to a good web signal, Vansinclair has created his own niche Backbeat radio program that plays on about 30 stations internationally, as well as the internet.

“When I started, I called up a community radio station in Haliburton CKHA (known as CanoeFM), 100.9 FM, and said I’d be happy to do a blues program for them,” Vansinclair said from his home studio in Orillia. “And they were crazy enough to let me do it,”

Initially, Vansinclair commuted to CanoeFM, then winter came and COVID-19 arrived, and he began send the station an audio file.

He was picked up on community radio stations internationally and is heard in Vancouver, California, New Orleans, Germany and more.

Now he’s won two National Community Radio Association awards; Best Music Variety in 2024, and last week, he won the ‘Blues or Similar Music Show of the Year.’

Vansinclair plays a little bit of everything blues including, ragtime, gospel, country, and songs from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s.

“It’s hard to describe what I play, but I still find people who like that kind of music,” he said.

Now that he streams Backbeat online, he’s finding international fans.

“I get many emails from people who like the show, they’re from everywhere.”