Radio presenter Paul Arcand remembers Paul Houde as a passionate man and an excellent communicator with whom he could discuss anything.
• Also read: Sports presenter and commentator Paul Houde has died aged 69
• Also read: The sports world reacts to the death of Paul Houde
• Also read: “Paul left his mark on Quebec radio, sports and culture.”
In an interview on LCN, Mr Arcand said he was saddened by his friend's death.
“It’s a shock,” he said. because we all knew that he had health problems and that he had undergone quite a serious operation, but to hear about his sudden death like this is very shocking. It is extremely sad.”
Although he worked with Paul Houde as a radio colleague, he really got to know him outside of the professional context and spent his best moments with him.
“Our paths crossed and we developed a great friendship beyond radio and work,” he explains.
“He was expressionless, he was someone you enjoyed being with, but he was also someone you could talk to about anything, he was interested in everything,” Mr Arcand adds. He is someone who represents a monument to knowledge.”
The presenter also praises Paul Houde's qualities as a communicator and popularizer.
“He was a communicator like you don’t see anymore,” he claims. He knew the language. For him, concern about the right choice of term was essential, but it was not presumptuous, it should not impose.
“He was a sports bible but also had a good sense of analysis,” he continues. He was able to popularize things, for example during a competition, capture the essence and translate it for the listener or viewer.”
Many passions
Through numerous conversations with friends or while traveling with him, Paul Houde shared many of his passions with Paul Arcand.
In addition to sports, Mr. Houde was also very up to date on current affairs, politics and history.
“He was someone who was really passionate,” Mr. Arcand says. He was someone who was constantly involved and felt the need to always be working and staying abreast of current events.”
The two men had recently discussed his passion for aviation.
“He had an application or software that allowed him to track aircraft movements in real time,” says Paul Arcand. He told me it relaxed him. They were always his passions in extreme cases.”
The radio host also remembers discussing his latest passion, recreational vehicles.
“To be able to explore the areas and see the eclipses […] “We see someone who was not limited to a single passion in life, but had several,” mentions Mr. Arcand.
Watch the full interview in the video above