For over three decades, Howard “Stretch” Carr has been a fixture on the Montreal airwaves. As host on CKUT 90.3 FM, he has guided listeners through the rhythms of Caribbean music on his show West Indian Rhythms. This June, Carr will take center stage not behind a microphone, but at a podium, as one of the recipients of the “Man of Distinction” Award at Playmas Montreal Cultural Association’s Let’s Hear It for the Boys celebration.
“To be honest with you, it’s a great feeling,” Carr said. “You don’t get too many of those these days. For someone to say thank you it means something. It reminds you that people are watching, listening, and valuing the work you’ve done.”
In a particularly moving gesture, each honoree will receive their award from the next generation: their sons, along with the male GemStars of the GemStar Circle of Excellence scholarship and mentorship program. It’s a deliberate and poignant act bridging legacy and promise, past and future.
But while radio is his passion, Carr speaks even more tenderly about his role as a father and grandfather. “Fatherhood means a lot. My daughter’s grown now, and she and her husband gave me two grandsons. It’s like I’m doing fatherhood all over again,” he said to the CONTACT and it’s a sweet, sweet feeling. When I don’t see them, my world is a little shaky. But the moment I do it’s steady.”
Carr plans to bring the boys to the event. “They should see this,” he said. “They should see that people can respect each other, and that men in our community are worth celebrating—not just athletes or celebrities, but the ones who show up.”
He says he feels honored to be recognized alongside figures such as Frank Baylis and Errol Johnson among many others. “To be among such distinguished men is humbling,” he said. “But I’mespecially moved that my grandsons will be there to see it. They’ll see that their grandfather stood for something. They will also see that respect and hard work matter.”
He’s not just bringing them to witness his recognition, he’s bringing them to learn.
“We don’t always show our kids things like this. Instead of giving them the latest phones, give them access to our stories, our history, our values. They need to see our people respect each other.”
His thoughts return often to the men who shaped him—his late brother-in-law, a family man who never lectured, but lived by example. “They taught me not to lie, to carry myself with dignity. I only knew my father until I was eight, but I was blessed to have father figures who gave me structure.”
Carr’s radio career has always been about more than music.
“A lot of people think it’s just putting on a couple of records,” he said. “But there’s so much more—concentration, coordination, community engagement. There were days you had to juggle live feeds, last-minute announcements, and shifting formats from vinyl to CDs and back again. It’s not easy work, but it’s meaningful.”
Fatherhood is beautiful,” he said, pausing thoughtfully.
“It’s like a cool drink.”
