Born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba in 1931, Balcan first worked as a sketch artist in the engineering department of the Canadian Pacific Railway in his native province.
Balcan began his broadcast career in 1951, when he was the first announcer to sign on with CKDM, a radio station in his hometown of Dauphin, Manitoba.
He then returned to CJAD as the morning man in 1975, where he remained until his retirement in 1998, the longest ever to hold the position in any Montreal radio station.
In 1991, he and his family established the George Balcan Bursary at Concordia University and awards given to Fine Arts students pursuing a major in painting and drawing.
Balcan worked tirelessly in his community in support of many causes, including the fight against breast cancer and for juvenile diabetes research.