Neil Reynolds (1940 – May 19, 2013) was a Canadian journalist, editor and former leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada.
Neil Reynolds | |
|---|---|
| Leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada | |
| In office 1982–1983 | |
| Preceded by | Linda Cain |
| Succeeded by | Victor Levis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Neil Reynolds Late 1940 |
| Died | May 19, 2013 |
Born in Kingston, Ontario in 1940,[1] Reynolds dropped out of high school and became a journalist.[2]
After working as a journalist at the Sarnia Observer and the London Free Press he became city editor of the Toronto Star, leaving in 1974 to join the Kingston Whig-Standard, becoming its editor-in-chief in 1978.[1][2]
Reynolds left Kingston to become editor-in-chief of the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal and Saint John Times-Globe in 1992.[3] He was hired by Conrad Black as editor-in-chief of the Ottawa Citizen in 1996 and remained there until 2000 when he became editor-in-chief at the Vancouver Sun until 2003.[2]
He then moved to back Ottawa, Ontario and in 2007, he and his wife, Donna, bought Diplomat & International Canada, a magazine published in Ottawa.[4] In September 2009, he became editor-at-Large of three daily newspapers owned by Brunswick News Inc, including the Telegraph-Journal and its two sister publications, the Times & Transcript and The Daily Gleaner.[3][5] Reynolds ended his career as a columnist for the Report on Business section of The Globe and Mail, submitting what would be his final column in the summer of 2012.[2][6]
Although he had been a supporter of the New Democratic Party in earlier years, he entered politics as the Libertarian Party of Canada's candidate in the 1982 by-election in the riding of Leeds–Grenville. He won 13.4% of the vote, which was the highest percentage vote ever garnered by a Libertarian Party of Canada candidate, either then or since.[7] In May 1982, he became the party's leader,[8] but resigned in 1983 in order to return to his post as Editor of the Kingston Whig-Standard.[9]
Reynolds' widow, Donna Jacobs, is an Ottawa-based freelance feature writer and columnist. He died on May 19, 2013, of cancer at the age of 72, leaving his wife, three children, and grandchildren.[2]