2 December 2008
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement on the passing of Edward Samuel "Ted" Rogers, OC:
"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to express our deepest condolences to Ted Roger's family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Mr. Rogers was one of Canada's greatest telecommunications entrepreneurs. His visionary business acumen was evident as early as 1960 when, as a law student in his mid-20s, he bought all the shares in Canada's only FM radio station CHFI when only 5% of Toronto households had FM receivers. This prescient investment in FM radio led him to invest in cable television, wireless telecommunications, broadcasting and publishing. He paved the way for enhanced consumer service in areas such as the Internet and voice over internet.
He touched the lives of countless Canadians outside of his business ventures through his generosity in professional sport, health care and education. He and his wife Loretta have made substantial contributions, including to Ryerson University and Toronto-area hospitals.
Mr. Rogers was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1990, our country's highest civilian honour.
We will never forget one of our greatest Canadians. "
