David Ablett (4 February 1941 – 24 July 2010) was a Canadian journalist and editor for ''

The Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published si ...

'', the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'', and other media. He was born in Gibson's Landing, British Columbia, Canada. Ablett attended the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

for his undergraduate studies. At the University of British Columbia he started his journalism career as the editorial page editor of the student newspaper, ''

The Ubyssey ''The Ubyssey'' is the University of British Columbia's official, independent student-run paper and is published bi-weekly on Tuesday. Founded on October 18, 1918, ''The Ubyssey'' is an independent publication funded by a $7.09 annual fee, from ...

''. After university, he worked as a journalist at the ''Vancouver Sun''. In 1965, the ''Vancouver Sun'' sent him to

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

School of Journalism, where he graduated in 1967 and he was awarded the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

Traveling Fellowship. The prize allowed him to spend the next two years abroad - first in Japan, where he worked as a journalist for the '' Asahi Shimbun'', then Europe, where he covered the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia for Radio Free Europe. He returned to the ''Vancouver Sun'' in 1969 and became the Washington, and then Ottawa Bureau Chief. He then became the ''Vancouver Suns editorial page editor. In 1977, while at the ''Vancouver Sun'', Ablett won Canada's

National Newspaper Award The National Newspaper Awards (french: link=no, Concours canadien de journalisme) are prizes awarded annually for the best work in Canadian newspapers. Synopsis The awards were first given in 1949 by the Toronto Press Club, which ran the awards un ...

for editorial writing. Later, he joined the Privy Council for Canada where he served as speech writer and special adviser to Canadian Prime Minister

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and ...

. In 1982, Trudeau appointed David to the

Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada The Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada, also known as the Macdonald Commission, was a historic landmark in Canadian economy policy. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau appointed the Royal Commission in 1982, an ...

headed by

Donald Stovel Macdonald Donald Stovel Macdonald (March 1, 1932 – October 14, 2018) was a Canadian lawyer, politician and diplomat. Macdonald was a long-time Liberal party Member of Parliament and Cabinet minister. In the early 1980s, he headed a royal commission ( ...

. David was Joint Editorial Head along with

Michel Vastel Michel Vastel (20 May 1940 – 28 August 2008) was a Québécois journalist and columnist for '' Le Journal de Montréal'' and other medias. He was born in Saint-Pierre-de-Cormeilles, Eure, France and immigrated to Canada in 1970. Vastel ...

. Ablett then went on to work at the

Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company. The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...

and then the Bank of Nova Scotia where he became head of Public Affairs. He later joined the editorial board of the ''

''. He eventually finished his career at the Toronto Stock Exchange where he retired as VP of Public and Corporate Affairs in 2007. David Ablett died on July 24, 2010, in Peterborough, Ontario.

References

* Noreen Shanahan,
Speech writer helped Trudeau address the nation in times of great change
, ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' * ''Continentalizing Canada: The Politics and Legacy of the Macdonald Royal Commission'' by Gregory J. Inwood * ''The politics of resentment: British Columbia regionalism and Canadian unity'' by Philip Resnick
Remembering David Ablett
by Rod Mickleburgh, ''

''
Speech writer helped Trudeau address the nation in times of great change
''

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Ablett, David 1941 births 2010 deaths People from Gibsons, British Columbia Toronto Star people University of British Columbia alumni Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni Canadian newspaper editors Canadian male journalists