Floyd Sherman Chalmers, (September 14, 1898 – April 26, 1993) was a Canadian editor, publisher and philanthropist.Floyd Chalmers
at

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Com ...

. Born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois, to Canadian parents, he was raised in

Orillia Orillia () is a city in Ontario, Canada, about 30 km (18 mi) north-east of Barrie in Simcoe County. It is located at the confluence of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Although it is geographically located within Simcoe County, the city is a Lis ...

and

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. He worked for the

Bank of Nova Scotia The Bank of Nova Scotia (), operating as Scotiabank (), is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. One of Canada's Big Five banks, it is the third-largest Canadian bank by deposits and ...

before serving with the First Canadian Tank Battalion during World War I. Chalmers married Jean Chalmers, née Boxall, in 1921. They had a son, Wallace Chalmers, in 1923, and a daughter, Joan Chalmers, born May 30, 1928. From the 1930s on, Floyd and Joan Chalmers became supporters of the arts in Canada, helping establish the

Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toron ...

, the

Canadian Opera Company The Canadian Opera Company (COC) is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and one of the largest producers of opera in North America. The COC performs at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performin ...

, and the

Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...

, among other arts organizations. Chalmers first established his subsequent career in publishing as editor of the battalion's newsletter, and joined the ''

Financial Post The ''Financial Post'' is a financial news website, and business section of the ''National Post'', both publications of the Postmedia Network. It started as an English Canadian business newspaper, which published from 1907 to 1998. In 1998, the ...

'' as a reporter in 1919. Appointed chief editor of the ''Financial Post'' in 1925,"Publishing Inc. on the move". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', April 9, 1983. he later became president of

Maclean-Hunter Maclean-Hunter (M-H) was a Canadian communications company, which had diversified holdings in radio, television, magazines, newspapers and cable television distribution. History The company began in 1887, when brothers John Bayne Maclean and H ...

from 1952 to 1964 and chairman of the board until 1969. In 1964, Maclean-Hunter went public and Chalmers sold half his shares. From 1968 to 1973, he was appointed chancellor of

York University York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...

. As a philanthropist, he served on the board of the

Toronto Conservatory of Music The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM; ), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher (musician), Edwar ...

; endowed the

Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Awards The Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award was a Canadian literary award given to Canadian plays produced by any professional Canadian theatre company, and having performances in the Toronto area. The prize had a monetary value of Canadian dollar, ...

, one of Canada's most prominent literary awards for playwrights; and created the ''Encyclopedia of Music in Canada''. He commissioned an opera for Canada's centennial in 1967, written by

Mavor Moore James Mavor Moore (March 8, 1919 – December 18, 2006) was a Canadian writer, producer, actor, public servant, critic, and educator. He notably appeared as Nero Wolfe in the CBC radio production in 1982. Life and work Moore was born in Tor ...

and composed by

Harry Somers Harry Stewart Somers, CC (September 11, 1925 – March 9, 1999) was a contemporary Canadian composer. Somers earned the unofficial title of "Darling of Canadian Composition." He was a founding member of the Canadian League of Composers (CLC) a ...

. He wrote ''Codes for Canada'' (1934), ''A Gentleman of the Press'' (1969), a biography of

John Bayne Maclean Lieutenant Colonel John Bayne Maclean (26 September 1862 – 25 September 1950) was a Canadian publisher. He founded '' Maclean's Magazine'', the ''Financial Post'' and the Maclean Publishing Company, later known as Maclean-Hunter. Life and ...

, and ''Both Sides of the Street: One Man’s Life in Business and the Arts in Canada'' (1983), an autobiography. He founded The Ticker Club in 1929 which was a luncheon club to give business founders and thought leaders the opportunity to address the financial community. In 1967 he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

and was promoted to Companion in 1984.

References

1898 births 1993 deaths Businesspeople from Toronto 20th-century Canadian biographers Canadian male biographers Canadian autobiographers Chancellors of York University Companions of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Ontario Members of the United Church of Canada American emigrants to Canada Writers from Toronto Canadian newspaper editors Canadian male journalists 20th-century Canadian philanthropists {{Canada-business-bio-stub