Gordon Sinclair CFRB and Front Page Challenge legend
On a recent walk through Park Lawn Cemetery, I came across the grave of one of Canada’s most influential—and often controversial—broadcasters and journalists: Gordon Sinclair.
Born Allen Gordon Sinclair in Toronto’s Cabbagetown in 1900, he attended Riverdale Collegiate in the city’s east end. He dropped out of high school and struggled to find his footing until he landed a job at the Toronto Star, alongside Foster Hewitt (whose father was the paper’s sports editor). It was there that Sinclair finally discovered his calling in journalism.
Although his stint as The Star’s sports editor didn’t last long—he was eventually replaced by Lou Marsh—it opened the door to a legendary career in broadcasting. In 1943, Sinclair joined CFRB radio (AM 1010), where he remained for an astonishing 40 years.
In 1957, the outspoken Sinclair became a panelist on a brand-new CBC television program, Front Page Challenge. He would remain on the show for over 27 years, right up until his death in 1984.
Sinclair wasn’t just a media personality. He was a best-selling author, a multi-millionaire, a Rolls-Royce driver, and a proud recipient of the Order of Canada. He was also inducted into the Etobicoke Hall of Fame.
He died in Toronto on May 17, 1984, at the age of 83.
Engraved on his headstone are the characters “-30-” — a traditional symbol in journalism signifying the end of a story. A fitting tribute to a man whose story helped shape Canadian media.
1900-1984
See my related visit to Fred Davis’s grave and host of Front Page Challenge.
