While the microphone turned out to be his livelihood, the printed page has always been his passion. Since the age of ten, Gord has been putting pen to paper in a variety of pursuits. Now 60, Gordon has amassed a huge portfolio of essays and features that are as diverse, as they are informative and entertaining.

It has been said that broadcasting is like writing, only you do it in your head. If that is true, Gord has been writing for a paycheque since the age of 15.

It was in 1988 that Gord decided to expand his canvas to newsprint, beginning a freelance career with the Peterborough Examiner as well as a host of regional publications in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario.

In 2001, he began broadening his horizons. His work has since appeared in Canadian Living, Chatelaine, Maclean's, The Globe and Mail, Reader's Digest, Cottage Life, Forum, Broadcaster, Go For Gold, a publication by the Canadian Equestrian Federation, The Penny Pincher Paper (England), and the Toronto Star - while continuing to contribute a semi-regular humour column to the Peterborough Examiner.

As a writer, Gord has been described as gifted, with an uncanny ability to capture the essence of a profile subject almost immediately. "It's like you've known me my entire life," subjects have said. "And we just met for lunch!."

Gord's writing has spanned various genres and subjects, from business, to social and municipal affairs, concert reviews, and the automotive sector. He is not afraid of research, and does not wither from complicated subjects.

One of his signature pieces appeared in Chatelaine in the summer of 2003. A profile of Gayle and PJ Le Masurier, 'A Change of Heart' followed the couple on their unique, and often emotionally painful journey that saw Peter Le Masurier trans-gender to a woman. They are still together - married - and living happily as two women now. A television documentary about the couple, shown on the W Network in Canada in 2005, grew from the Chatelaine article.

The story narrowly missed a National Magazine Award nomination in 2003.

Profiles are a favourite, and a specialty. "I seem to be able to capture a subject quickly, and accurately," Gord says. A treatment of renowned automotive restorer Harry Sherry, which appeared in a regional magazine in 1989, remains as the best profile ever written about him to this day, according to the subject.

And Gord's slice-of-life essays, combined with a delightful sense of humour, are a fan favourite. He identifies with the everyman. Once readers stop laughing and wipe away the tears, they see themselves in Gord's prose. An essay which appeared in Maclean's about quitting 'the demon coffee' achieved one of the highest mail responses in the history of the 'Over To You' page.

Ultimately, Gordon Gibb maintains a reputation as a page-turner. He can make any subject - be it corporate or artistic, technical or abstract - sound good, and read well.

Gordon formerly served as a staff content writer for LawyersandSettlements.com based in Los Angeles, California from 2006 through 2017.

In his spare time, Gord dabbles in mainstream and children's fiction. His first novel was completed in 2004, with another half-complete and a memoir is a yet another work in progress. So far, none of his fiction has been published.

One day...

Gordon's non-fiction book detailing the life of former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, written for the teen market and published by Jackfruit Press was released in 2006. A curriculam-qualifying update on Canada's 14th Prime Minister was published in 2015 by Five Rivers Publishing. 'Prose To Go', a collection of essays from various writers, featured Gordon's work in 2011. Gibberish - Tall Tales and Domestic Disasters from Beyond the Microphone is an in-depth collection of humourous, slice-of-life essays and columns self-published in 2014.



Back to Top