By Thomas Smith

It has become part of my summertime routine to go for a swim on Monday evenings.

After the hustle and bustle of our weekly production meetings, I like to unwind and get a swim in at a local lake.

It was during these trips to the lake that I learned about Bingo Kitty Marv.

With a high pitched, almost alien voice, Bingo Kitty Marv always calls in to Penny Randall-Mowbray’s show Locally Sourced on Canoe FM to chat after the first song on Monday evenings.

Bingo Kitty also lets listeners know anything interesting happening across the county and the shenanigans that he gets up to with his nephew Spinach (another cat, not the vegetable).

An outspoken lover of big band and swing music, Bingo Kitty Marv occasionally selects the music for the show on several occasions.

When a musical guest will be joining, Marv is often the one to introduce them.

“He loves to cut a rug with his ‘pawrents’ Jack and Jill,” explained Randall-Mowbray.

Over the weeks I found Bingo Kitty Marv as a mysterious figure. How can a cat call the radio station? How did he learn to speak English? Who taught him how to dance?

Most importantly, who exactly is Bingo Kitty Marv?

Marv’s story (before his Bingo Kitty moniker) starts with his ‘pawrents’ Jack and Jill Spitz. It was a cold Toronto night in October of 2017 when the couple heard the tiny feline screams coming from their driveway.

Looking through their car, the couple find a tiny orange kitten cuddled up next to their motor. From the kitten’s size, he could only have been a few weeks old, seeking shelter on that cold night.

Initially, Jack and Jill had no intentions of keeping Marv. As longtime Airedale owners, the couple had no intentions of another pet after the passing of their beloved Brodie 16 years earlier.

“We had only intended to foster him,” said Jill. “Nine years later, we can’t imagine life without Bingo Kitty Marv.”

As ‘dog people’ Jack and Jill treated Marv like they would any dog, and leash trained him. Learning to go for walks since he was a kitten, Marv is a natural explorer on the leash.

When coming to the cottage, Marv thrives while living his life in Haliburton.

“He’s obsessed with bingo, pinball, backgammon, baseball, and hockey,” said Jill. “He loves life in Haliburton and spends much of his time in his ‘catio’ taking in the sights, smells, and ambiance of living by the lakeside.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marv’s family was playing Canoe FM’s radio bingo when their son Daniel, who was visiting from California, left his seat. Hopping up to join in on the fun of playing Radio Bingo, Jill snapped a picture. The photo of Marv playing radio bingo spread like wildfire. Thus, the moniker Bingo Kitty Marv was bequeathed by Randall-Mowbray.

“It describes him perfectly and has stuck,” said Jill. “Marv has continued to play bingo and enjoy listening to Canoe FM radio with our family.”

It was through listening to Canoe FM where Bingo Kitty Marv fell in love with big band and swing.Whether he is getting his favourite lint roller massage, sleeping in a blanket fort, or rough housing with his nephew Spinach, Bingo Kitty Marv always tunes in to Canoe FM (with the help of his ‘pawrents’, of course).

“Bingo Kitty Marv is my biggest fan,” said Randall-Mowbray. “He is very encouraging of local musicians and sends me a photo, so I know he’s listening too.”

Naturally, Bingo Kitty Marv also reminds everyone to buy their Canoe FM Radio Bingo sheet with the proceeds from their sales supporting the community radio station.

“Listeners may not realize that not all of our audience is human,” said Randall-Mowbray. “Many are in fact various animal varieties, not just feline and canine. They enjoy the comfort of familiar voices when their owners have to leave them at home. Canoe FM is turned on and they can relax and enjoy the day until everyone comes home.”

While Bingo Kitty Marv has a soft spot for female singers, Frank Sinatra remains one of his favourites. Marv is no stranger to reminding listeners that his mother Jill has an ‘over the top’ crush on James Taylor, so sometimes he sings Taylor’s songs for his mom.

“Canoe FM is so much more than great music,” said Randall-Mowbray. “We are the ones you turn to in a crisis when the power is down, accidents when they happen, road repairs and so much more. We are that one link that listeners have come to rely on.”

Naturally, Bingo Kitty Marv loves the Pet Detective segment, with cheers heard from across the county when beloved pets are found.

“Canoe FM has become something you can rely on and that’s a comfort,” said Randall-Mowbray. “Each year we ask our listeners to help ‘keep us on the air’ by giving donations to our Radiothon and they don’t let us down. This tells us, community radio matters.”

For Randall-Mowbray, volunteering with Canoe FM has been a gift, allowing her to meet Bingo Kitty Marv and have him join in as an occasional co-host. Under the leadership and guidance of station volunteers like Roxanne Casey, Ron Murphy, Scott Duggan, and Janice Andrews, she has been able to do things she would have never thought possible.

“As a volunteer with Canoe FM, it has been nice to have someone to ‘bounce ideas with’ and he gives some great furry feedback,” said Randall-Mowbray. “We both feel volunteer roles are crucial to Canoe FM and many of the other wonderful organizations in the County and beyond exist due to dedicated volunteers.”

Bingo Kitty Marv has become quite the local celebrity, with not only a human following, but furry, feathered, and hooved friends expecting to hear his voice on the radio on Monday evenings.

“We are tickled by Bingo Kitty Marv’s status as a local celebrity,” said Jill. “We are honored to be his ‘pawrents’.”