Neil Reynolds (1940 – May 19, 2013) 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 ...

journalist, editor and former leader of the

Libertarian Party of Canada The Libertarian Party of Canada (french: Parti libertarien du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada founded in 1973. The party subscribes to classical liberal tenets, and its mission is to reduce the size, scope, and cost of government ...

Career in journalism

Born in Kingston, Ontario in 1940, Reynolds dropped out of high school and became a journalist. After working as a journalist at the ''Sarnia Observer'' and 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'', ...

'' he became city editor of 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 ...

'', leaving in 1974 to join the ''

Kingston Whig-Standard ''The Kingston Whig-Standard'' is a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is published five days a week, from Tuesday to Saturday. It publishes a mix of community, national and international news and is currently owned by Postmedia. It has ...

'', becoming its editor-in-chief in 1978. Reynolds left Kingston to become editor-in-chief of the ''

New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal The ''Telegraph-Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. It serves as both a provincial daily and as a local newspaper for Saint John. The newspaper is published by Brunswick News. The ''Telegraph-Journal'' ...

'' and '' Saint John Times-Globe'' in 1992. He was hired by

Conrad Black Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour (born 25 August 1944), is a Canadian-born British former newspaper publisher, businessman, and writer. His father was businessman George Montegu Black II, who had significant holdings in Canadi ...

as editor-in-chief of the ''

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the '' ...

'' in 1996 and remained there until 2000 when he became editor-in-chief at 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 s ...

'' until 2003. He then moved to back Ottawa, Ontario and in 2007, he and his wife, Donna, bought ''Diplomat & International Canada'', a magazine published in Ottawa. In September 2009, he became editor-at-Large of three daily newspapers owned by

Brunswick News Brunswick News Inc. is a Canadian newspaper publishing company based on Bloor Street in Toronto. Once privately owned by James K. Irving and based in Saint John, New Brunswick, it was sold to Postmedia in 2022. Brunswick News Inc. (BNI) was inc ...

Inc, including the ''Telegraph-Journal'' and its two sister publications, the ''

Times & Transcript The ''Times & Transcript'' is a newspaper from Moncton, New Brunswick. It serves Greater Moncton and eastern New Brunswick. Its offices and printing facilities are located on Main Street in Downtown Moncton. The paper is published by Brunswick Ne ...

'' and ''

The Daily Gleaner ''The Daily Gleaner'' is a morning daily newspaper serving the city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, and the upper Saint John River Valley. The paper is published Monday through Saturday and began operating in 1880. In April 2006, the paper switch ...

''. Reynolds ended his career as a columnist for the ''Report on Business'' section of ''

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 ...

'', submitting what would be his final column in the summer of 2012.

Politics

Although he had been a supporter of the

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * t ...

in earlier years, he entered politics as the

's candidate in the 1982

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

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. In May 1982, he became the party's leader, but resigned in 1983 in order to return to his post as Editor of the Kingston ''Whig-Standard''.Libertarian Bulletin Vol. 9, No. 4, July–August 1983

Personal life

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.

References

External links

Black's New Look Ottawa Citizen
1997 ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

'' feature concentrates on Reynolds and his career.
Neil Reynolds Remembered
An article from JSource that looks at Neil Reynolds career and his impact on Canadian journalism
Neil Reynolds' Columns
''

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Neil Canadian newspaper editors Canadian male journalists Libertarian Party of Canada leaders 1940 births 2013 deaths Journalists from Ontario Politicians from Kingston, Ontario The Globe and Mail people Ontario candidates for Member of Parliament Libertarian Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons The Globe and Mail columnists Libertarian Party of Canada politicians Canadian libertarians