Harry Joseph Boyle (October 7, 1915 – January 22, 2005) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

broadcaster and writer. He began his career in media working for a local radio station during the 1930s and later as district editor for the ''

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''. During this time he was also contributing articles to the ''

London Free Press ''The London Free Press'' is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. It has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Southwestern Ontario. History ''The London Free Press'' began as the ''Canadian Free Press'', ...

'', ''

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'' and the ''

Toronto Telegram ''The Toronto Evening Telegram'' was a conservative, broadsheet afternoon newspaper published in Toronto from 1876 to 1971. It had a reputation for supporting the Conservative Party at the federal and the provincial levels. The paper competed wit ...

''. In 1942, he began working for the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

as its farm commentator as well as the director of the '' National Farm Radio Forum''. In 1947, he launched ''

CBC Wednesday Night ''CBC Wednesday Night'' was a weekly anthology series which aired on CBC Radio from 1947 until the 1970s. The program featured a mix of music, plays, operas, documentaries, and news, and typically ran for around three hours without commercials. It ...

'', a three-hour commercial-free block of music, opera, plays, and other high-brow entertainment. In 1968, Boyle was appointed vice-chairman of the

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(CRTC), and in August 1975 became its chairman. He held this position until 1977. After leaving the CRTC, he became a member of faculty at the Banff School of Arts and a member of the

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(1979–1982). Boyle's writing was primarily

autobiographical fiction An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

dealing with life in rural southern Ontario during the interwar period. Two of his books were awarded the

Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, also known as the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour or just the Leacock Medal, is an annual literary award presented for the best book of humour written in English by a Canadian writer, published or self ...

: ''Homebrew and Patches'' in 1964 and ''Luck of the Irish'' in 1976. In 1978, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. The same year he received an honorary doctorate from

Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...

Selected publications

*''The Inheritance: A Play in Three Acts'' (1949) *''Mostly in Clover'' (1961) *''Homebrew and Patches'' (1963) *''A Summer Burning'' (1964) *''With a Pinch of Sin'' (1966) *''Straws in the Wind'' (1969) *''The Great Canadian Novel'' (1972) *''Memories of a Catholic Boyhood'' (1973) *''The Luck of the Irish'' (1975)

References

External links

Tribute by Pierre Juneau
*
Canadian Communications Foundation: Harry J. Boyle biographyConcordia University Honorary Degree Citation
June 1978, Concordia University Records Management and Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Boyle, Harry J. 1915 births 2005 deaths Canadian radio personalities Chairpersons of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Officers of the Order of Canada Stephen Leacock Award winners