Remembering a Mentor
There are those who come in to your life for a reason – and today I want to tell you the story of David Ablett.
He joined TSX in 2001 around the time of our IPO and helped with the strategy around the national regulator campaign. He wrote so well and elevated our leadership voice on so many key issues. It’s there I learned from him…he helped me to become a better writer and provided such valuable insight with dealing with editors at the major papers. I so loved our morning chats about news, history and issues. He was such a wealth of information and an incredible storyteller. He’d call me Steve-O….and always had time for me as we sat in adjoining offices for much of our time together. When he left TSX, I asked to be moved in to his office. It just seemed right.
As for his stories -- what a career he could draw from. Prior to TSX, he was a journalist and editor for The Vancouver Sun, the Toronto Star, and other media.
According to Wikipedia, in 1965, the Vancouver Sun sent him to Columbia University School of Journalism, where he graduated in 1967 and he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize 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 then returned to the Vancouver Sun in 1969 and became the Washington, and then Ottawa Bureau Chief. He then became the Vancouver Sun's editorial page editor. In 1977, while at the Vancouver Sun, he won Canada's National Newspaper Award 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.
He returned to the Toronto Star on the Editorial Board and then came over the Exchange and finished his career with us until his retirement in 2007. He took ill shortly after leaving and we continued to keep in touch until his death in 2010.
He was my friend and a key mentor. I miss him but am better today because I knew him.
Director, Communications
5 年Thanks for this, Steve. David was a great teacher, mentor and all around good guy.
Advising select entrepreneurs on their communications and profile strategies.
5 年I worked with David when he was head of editorial at BMO (writing for Bill Mulholland) before he went to head up Public Affairs at BNS.? At his funeral The Hon. Jim Peterson spoke about when they were at Columbia University in the same dorm. David would snatch his New York Times from in front of his door, complete the crossword then leave it back at his door.? He was always that mischievous and fun to be around; (threw great parties too!)
Chairman AVENIR GLOBAL
5 年I have great memories as well...cheers
Working with others to enhance business history
5 年Thanks for writing this, Steve. David was an amazing writer and person. Not to mention a great chef! I fondly remember working with you and him all those years ago at TSX. And to this day I reflect on what David taught me about speechwriting.