Canadian journalist and war correspondent Matthew Fisher dead at 66

Prolific Canadian journalist and war correspondent Matthew Fisher has died at age 66.

According to his brother, Tobias Fisher, the reporter had died Saturday shortly after falling ill to liver disease.

Fisher, who first started out as a sports journalist, later became known as one of Canada’s most well-travelled foreign correspondents — having visited more than 170 countries and covering over 20 wars and civil conflicts.

“Wherever he went, he was always interested in reporting the personal and human side of the story,” his brother Tobias told Global News in a statement Sunday.

“He was bold, funny, courageous and kind. We will miss him dearly.”

He once referred to himself as “a dinosaur” and the last of his breed after living abroad for over 43 years. From telegraph to telex to the first “early trash Radio-Shack computers,” Fisher had the experience of working across all mediums throughout his career.

Major conflicts the correspondent was on hand for included conflicts like Afghanistan, Iraq, Chenchnya, Rwanda and the Balkans.

2:04 Matthew Fisher reports on Ukraine’s 2004 political crisis

Fisher had on many occasions worked as a commentator for Global News, writing on subjects ranging from Canadian foreign policy and how the COVID-19 pandemic changed life in Asia.

“I do this sort of like a moth to the flame going back again and again, I don’t do it as much as I used to but it is not because I feel a great sense of responsibility. So many young journalists say you got the burden of carrying the truth to people and I say ‘no, I only have one rule in journalism and that rule is that I must have fun,'” Fisher had said while guest speaking at an event in 2016.

— With files from Global News’ Nick Logan