
When CKUA started making plans to celebrate thirty years of Tom Coxworth’s program, Folk Routes, he wanted all the attention to be focused on the community. We’ll follow his wishes, but we’re not going to miss an opportunity to congratulate him!
Tune in to CKUA on Monday, February 3, throughout the day for music, good wishes, and possibly some moments of gentle teasing.
Missed the live broadcast? Whether Alberta Morning, Catch & Release, or anything in between, listen to the day-long celebration OnDemand until Sunday, February 9.

First up to toast his good friend is Andy Donnelly, host of The Celtic Show. The two met in a record store in Edmonton Centre. Through festivals, they started doing radio together at The University of Alberta station, CJSR, in the 1980s.
Donnelly says, “Folk Routes has been an incredible gift to our community. That program has taken thirty years to get where it’s at. He works so hard at that program, and he is so active in the community. The most important thing is the gathering. Tom invites everyone in. That’s why it’s become an institution.”
Terry Wickham, Producer of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, agrees. “Tom is an integral part of the folk community. Our festival was in trouble when I joined in 1989, in debt. Tom was one of three people going through the books and seeing what we could do.”
Since those early days, Tom Coxworth’s connection with the Edmonton Folk Fest remains strong, and Wickham notes that Tom is a lifetime member of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. As for Folk Routes on CKUA, Wickham says simply, “It’s a real folk show. He is always plugging the live shows around the province, and coming up with suggestions of artists to discover. He’s just a great community person, and a true folk music person.”
Coxworth himself remains modest about his accomplishments, but he does remember being thrilled to see Folk Routes begin. “Sev Sabourin and Brian Dunsmore hired me,” he says. “They wanted a folk program. I really was just over the moon about the fact that I was going to do this Alberta program about folk music.”
The program has grown and changed. “Folk Routes is broader now,” Coxworth says. “It’s new music and music of tradition, and then all different styles from the world. Our listeners are always getting in touch, and then it becomes the host’s job to try to bring it into focus. People want to hear good music and good stories. It’s about trying to reach out with positive messages, and giving listeners a place to gather.”
Many emerging and independent artists speak glowingly about the role that Coxworth has played in their careers. Phyllis Sinclair met him about twenty years ago and says, “Tom really was the first one to pay attention to me. Years ago, there weren’t that many Indigenous artists on the folk music scene. Tom took me seriously as a musician and a songwriter.”
Sinclair adds, “He’s good at feeling the spirit of the artist coming through. He is open-minded. He doesn’t pigeonhole people. He makes people feel like what they are doing is special. He brings the same warmth every time I see him. It’s not just to support the show. He’s interested in who you are. He’s got a great heart and a great sense of music, a great sense of spirit. I’m so thankful for that.”
Tom’s connections with his listeners are legendary, too. People send emails or approach him at festivals and live shows, to talk music and to mention artists they heard for the first time on his program.
Stuart Muir appreciates Folk Routes as a listener, and as the artistic director of the New Moon Folk Club. He respects Tom’s approach to music, saying, “He’s meticulous. It comes through. You can tell Tom has thought about his song choices carefully. And his ease at connecting with each musician’s story is great. His interviews are so insightful.”
Listener Tracy Kolenchuk says simply, “Tom’s laid-back style is perfect Sunday morning fare.”
Looking ahead, Coxworth says, he says he wants to honour the tradition, but also expand it. “I want to be as inclusive as possible, especially for younger people. I want to continue to connect, with stories of the day, and the music that’s all around us. CKUA listeners have great insights. They know what they like, and what’s important to them. If we can help inspire them, that’s what keeps us going.”
Thank you, Tom, for 30 years of Folk Routes. All of us at CKUA wish you the best!
We invite all listeners to tune in for special programming on Monday, February 3.
Please send in your stories, wishes, and musical suggestions.
Simply send an email to feedback@ckua.com.
You can also text-message CKUA directly at 1-800-494-2582.