Milt Dunnell Legendary sportswriter at the Toronto Star
Paying Tribute to Milt Dunnell — The “Sports Editor of Canada”
On a quiet walk through Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Thornhill, Ontario, I stopped to visit the grave of a giant in Canadian sports journalism: Milt Dunnell, often affectionately known as the “Sports Editor of Canada.”
For an astounding 45 years, from 1949 to 1994, Dunnell served as sports editor and columnist for The Toronto Star, where he became one of the most respected voices in Canadian media. His steady, insightful, and often understated prose earned him admiration not only from readers but from generations of writers who followed in his footsteps.
“Uncle Miltie”, as he was known, didn’t just write about sports — he lived them. His work took him across the globe, covering Olympic Games from Melbourne to Mexico City, and following Muhammad Ali from Zaire to the Philippines. Over the course of his career, he submitted an incredible 11,000 columns to The Star — a record of remarkable consistency and dedication.
Montreal Expos are the winners of the 1982 Pearson Cup Canada battle with the Toronto Blue Jays at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Milt Dunnell on the right.
Fellow Star columnist Rosie DiManno once paid tribute to him with a line that perfectly captures his legacy:
“Milt Dunnell wrote 11,000 columns for The Star. I’ll never catch him. But, if I were to reach 10,999, I’d stop.”
Born on Christmas Eve, 1905, in St. Marys, Ontario — also the home of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame — Milt lived a long and rich life, passing away in Toronto on January 3, 2008, at the age of 102.
The first spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays at Grant Field, Dunedin Florida 1977. Milt Dunnell second from left.
Though known for being quiet, reserved, and intensely private, his contributions were far from unnoticed. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame — a rare and well-deserved quartet of honours.
1905-2008
