Colin Gravenor
Encyclopedia
Colin Gravenor was a Canadian real-estate developer and public-relations pioneer. He was born May 30, 1910, in Bridgwater
, England
, and moved with his parents and a brother and sister to Winnipeg
, Canada
, later to be abandoned by his father, Percival, and raised by his mother.
Gravenor moved to Montreal in the late 1920s and following WWII he led Montreal's Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League, which - among other activities - sponsored European refugees fleeing the Nazi regime to resettle in Canada, making him one of the relatively few non-Jews to participate in such an initiative.
Gravenor also worked as a public relations agent and newspaper writer for the scandal sheet
Midnight
in Montreal until 1956 when he bought Nun's Island, a largely uninhabited island adjacent to the thriving metropolis of Montreal, which was at that time Canada's economic hub. Gravenor paid representatives of an order of the Catholic Church, which then owned the sprawling island in the St. Lawrence River, $5,000 in cash for the initial transaction, with many steeper payments to come, including another $100,000 due within 90 days. The near-penniless Gravenor then started lobbying the federal government to build a bridge to the island. A few weeks later, as Gravenor was about to forfeit the property because he was unable to make his next payment, he benefitted from a serendipitous announcement by Canadian prime minister, Louis St-Laurent, of the construction of the Champlain Bridge
, which would permit road access to the island for the first time. Gravenor's fortunes changed overnight, and he was able to sell his interest in the land for approximately $2 million -- a very large sum in the 1950s. He subsequently operated a lucrative parking lot across the street from the Forum
, home of the Montreal Canadiens
hockey club, in downtown Montreal. He also participated in many maverick campaigns and was an outspoken crusader against the marketing of cow's milk, which he believed to be deleterious to human health. He died at his home at 1430 Chomedey St., Montreal, on August 25, 1993.
He is the father of Montreal journalists JD Gravenor and Kristian Gravenor
.
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and moved with his parents and a brother and sister to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, later to be abandoned by his father, Percival, and raised by his mother.
Gravenor moved to Montreal in the late 1920s and following WWII he led Montreal's Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League, which - among other activities - sponsored European refugees fleeing the Nazi regime to resettle in Canada, making him one of the relatively few non-Jews to participate in such an initiative.
Gravenor also worked as a public relations agent and newspaper writer for the scandal sheet
Scandal Sheet
Scandal Sheet is a black-and-white film noir directed by Phil Karlson. The film is based on the novel The Dark Page by Samuel Fuller, who himself was a newspaper reporter before his career in film...
Midnight
Midnight
Midnight is the transition time period from one day to the next: the moment when the date changes. In the Roman time system, midnight was halfway between sunset and sunrise, varying according to the seasons....
in Montreal until 1956 when he bought Nun's Island, a largely uninhabited island adjacent to the thriving metropolis of Montreal, which was at that time Canada's economic hub. Gravenor paid representatives of an order of the Catholic Church, which then owned the sprawling island in the St. Lawrence River, $5,000 in cash for the initial transaction, with many steeper payments to come, including another $100,000 due within 90 days. The near-penniless Gravenor then started lobbying the federal government to build a bridge to the island. A few weeks later, as Gravenor was about to forfeit the property because he was unable to make his next payment, he benefitted from a serendipitous announcement by Canadian prime minister, Louis St-Laurent, of the construction of the Champlain Bridge
Champlain Bridge (Montreal)
The Champlain Bridge is a steel truss cantilever bridge with approach viaducts constructed of prestressed concrete beams supporting a prestressed concrete deck paved with asphalt...
, which would permit road access to the island for the first time. Gravenor's fortunes changed overnight, and he was able to sell his interest in the land for approximately $2 million -- a very large sum in the 1950s. He subsequently operated a lucrative parking lot across the street from the Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
, home of the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
hockey club, in downtown Montreal. He also participated in many maverick campaigns and was an outspoken crusader against the marketing of cow's milk, which he believed to be deleterious to human health. He died at his home at 1430 Chomedey St., Montreal, on August 25, 1993.
He is the father of Montreal journalists JD Gravenor and Kristian Gravenor
Kristian Gravenor
Kristian Gravenor is a Montreal news reporter and city columnist who has written over a thousand articles about the city for a variety of magazines and newspapers, starting with a column in the Westmount Examiner which he wrote at age 16. He has since written a variety of news stories for magazines...
.
External links
- http://cjnews.com/viewarticle.asp?id=3555
- http://www.remer.org/genealogy/memorial_book/draft_book.html
- http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/1997/100997/news4.html