John Ross Robertson, journalist, publisher, philanthropist and sportsman

On my walk through the Toronto Necropolis Cemetery in Riverdale, I visited the grave of John Ross Robertson, founder of the Toronto Evening Telegram and an important early hockey executive.

In 1876, the young Robertson borrowed C$10,000 (about C$1 million today) to purchase the assets of The Liberal, a defunct newspaper. His new publication quickly became the voice of Toronto’s working-class, conservative Protestant community. To house the operation, he built a headquarters affectionately known as “The Grand Old Lady of Melinda Street,” located near King & Bay.

The Telegram—or “The Tely,” as it was widely known—focused heavily on local issues and eventually became Toronto’s largest-circulation daily newspaper. It held that distinction until 1932, when it was overtaken by the Toronto Daily Star, a lead it would never regain.

After the death of Robertson’s widow in 1947, the paper was sold to George McCullagh, publisher of The Globe and Mail, for C$3.6 million. In 1949, the word “Evening” was dropped, and the paper became simply The Toronto Telegram.

Beyond journalism, Robertson served as Member of Parliament for Toronto-East, bequeathed his substantial book collection to the Toronto Public Library, and left a generous annuity to the Hospital for Sick Children. A devoted supporter of hockey, he also served as President of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1899 to 1905. John Ross Robertson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 1947.

John Ross Robertson, died in Toronto on May 31, 1918. He was 76.

1841-1918