Bob Simpson saying farewell to CTV, Farmgate

Bob Simpson retiring after 30 years with CTV Our longtime Farmgate host is retiring after 30 years with CTV in Saskatchewan. Jennifer Jellicoe looks back at Bob Simpson's career.

Bob Simpson is hanging up his boots.

CTV Saskatchewan’s longtime Farmgate host is retiring after 30 years with our station in Saskatoon and nearly two decades hosting the farm show.

“Bob Simpson is what it’s all about. He’s kind, fair and always up for a laugh,” CTV Saskatoon News Director Dani Mario said. “He cared deeply for his work. I’ll miss him tremendously in our newsroom, but it makes me so happy to know he’s starting this new chapter in his life.”

Simpson joined our station — then CFQC Television — in January 1987. He covered all kinds of stories, including court, but has always gravitated toward agriculture.

“He… helped shine a light and helped people who maybe lost their rural roots understand better what's happening in agriculture,” former colleague and friend Kevin Hursh said.

Hursh hosted Farmgate in the early years, leaving in the mid-1990s, a few years before Simpson took over in 1999. He said Simpson always connected with rural people and helped keep agricultural issues alive, even before he took over the farm show.

It’s fitting his final week with CTV falls during Canadian Western Agribition, an event in which he’s become an annual fixture.

“Bob Simpson became the voice of agriculture and a great ambassador, as well as reporter,” said Bruce Holmquist, president of the Canadian Western Agribition. “He was involved with Canadian Western Agribition for a very long time and people depended on him for a news source, as well as keeping up with the neighbours who might be showing and things like that.”

Simpson’s final show airs Saturday.