John Downing (born 1936) is an author, reporter, editor and columnist, most notably writing for 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 ...

'' and later the ''

Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...

''.

Journalism

He was editor of the ''

Whitehorse Star The ''Whitehorse Star'' is one of two newspapers in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. When founded in 1900 it appeared only once a week, and its progress to Monday through Friday publication occurred in fits and starts; it was issued twice a week for a ...

'' in 1957, and reporter and editor on the ''

'' from 1958 to 1971. He was a "Day Oner" of the ''

'' first as city hall columnist and then as the Editor from 1985 to 1997.

Professional Associations

Canadian National Exhibition 2012 Entrance

John Downing has been president of the

Canadian National Exhibition The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as The Exhibition or The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the third Friday of August leading up to and including Canadian Labour Day, ...

, Toronto Press Club and Press Clubs of Canada, and director and governor of the Toronto Outdoor Art Show, Runnymede Health Care Centre, Exhibition Place,

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is a conservation authority in southern Ontario, Canada. It owns about of land in the Toronto region, and it employs more than 400 full-time employees and coordinates more than 3,000 voluntee ...

, Ontario Safety League,

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF), also known as The Royal, is an annual agricultural fair that is held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the first two weeks of November. It was inaugurated in 1922 in the Coliseum, on the grounds of Exhib ...

, and

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canad ...

Safety

He has written chapters for books on the CNE and Toronto politics, two political biographies, and articles for ''Time'', ''Macleans'' and other publications. He appeared on the CBC,

CityTV Citytv is a Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The licence of the original Citytv station, granted the callsign of CITY-TV by the CRTC on November 25, 1971 to Cable Television Ass ...

, the

Global Television Network The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after ...

CFTR (AM) CFTR CityNews 680 (formerly 680 News AM) is a commercial all-news radio station licensed to Toronto, Ontario, serving the Greater Toronto Area. Owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications, the station became Canada's f ...

and

CFRB CFRB (1010 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is owned by Bell Media and carries a News/Talk radio format. Its studios and offices are in the Entertainment District at 250 Richmond Street West. CFRB is a clea ...

. Downing has been credited with popularizing the term "Red Rocket" for the Toronto Transit Corporation's (TTC) streetcars.

Images

File:Clinton and Downing.jpg, Clinton and Downing

Chronology

* 1957 - Downing joins ''Whitehorse Star'' as Editor * 1958 - Downing joins the ''Toronto Telegram'' first as Reporter then City Editor and Managing Editor * 1971 - Downing joins the ''Toronto Sun'' as a columnist * 1985 - Downing becomes ''Toronto Sun'' Editor * 1999 - Downing becomes President of Canadian National Exhibition Association

Publications

* Phillips, Nathan and Downing, John. ''Mayor of All the People'',

McClelland & Stewart McClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is owned by Penguin Random House of Canada, a branch of Penguin Random House, the international book publishing division of German media giant Bertelsmann. History It was founded ...

Canada, 1967. * Downing, John. "Ryerson University - A Unicorn Among Horses
John Downing (April 17 2017)
Canada, 2017.

References

External links

John Downing's Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Downing, John 1936 births Canadian columnists Journalists from Toronto Toronto Metropolitan University alumni Living people Toronto Sun editors