Richard Arthur Northwood Bonnycastle (September 26, 1934 – March 8, 2023) was a Canadian businessman. He formerly owned and was the publisher of

Harlequin Enterprises Harlequin Enterprises ULC (known simply as Harlequin) is a publisher of romance novel, romance, women's fiction and various other genres under multiple publishing imprints. Founded in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1949, from the 1960s, it grew into the l ...

(founded in 1949 by his father Richard H. G. Bonnycastle), the world's largest publisher of

romantic fiction A romance or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primarily focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed to the developme ...

, as well was an owner of

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorses

Harlequin Ranches Richard Arthur Northwood Bonnycastle (September 26, 1934 – March 8, 2023) was a Canadian businessman. He formerly owned and was the publisher of Harlequin Enterprises (founded in 1949 by his father Richard H. G. Bonnycastle), the world's larg ...

. He was part of the

Bonnycastle family The Bonnycastle family of Canada include: * Sir Richard Henry Bonnycastle (1791-1847), British soldier * Henry William John Bonnycastle (1813-1888), lawyer, militiaman, farmer, councillor, artist * Angus Bonnycastle (1873-1941), lawyer, politic ...

founded in Canada by British military officer, Sir Richard Henry Bonnycastle. Bonnycastle's career included decades of

corporate governance Corporate governance refers to the mechanisms, processes, practices, and relations by which corporations are controlled and operated by their boards of directors, managers, shareholders, and stakeholders. Definitions "Corporate governance" may ...

experience, being the chairman and independent director of such Canadian corporations as Harlequin Enterprises (1968–1981),

Torstar Torstar Corporation is a Canadian mass media company which primarily publishes news. It is known for publishing the ''Toronto Star'', its flagship and namesake. Torstar was purchased by NordStar Capital LP, which is currently owned by Jordan Bi ...

(1975–1982), The

Canada Development Investment Corporation The Canada Development Investment Corporation (CDEV; ) is a Canadian Crown corporation responsible for managing investments and corporate interests held by the Government of Canada, including making purchases and sales of assets on behalf of th ...

(CDIC; 1978–1988), National Leasing Group, Bracknell Corporation (1983–1990), Patheon Inc. (1984–1986), Rupertsland Resources Ltd. (1975–1983), Westco Restaurants Inc. (founders of Moxie's; 1992–1996), and Western Feedlots Ltd. (1970–1978), among others. At the time of his death in 2023, he was the Chairman and President of Cavendish Investing Ltd. and Pacific Iron Ore Corporation.

Early life

Bonnycastle was born on September 26, 1934, in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, to Richard H. G. Bonnycastle of the

. Bonnycastle was educated at Ravenscourt School,

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

;

Trinity College School Trinity College School (TCS) is a co-educational, independent boarding and day school located in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. TCS was founded on May 1, 1865, more than two years before Canadian Confederation. It includes a Senior School for ...

, in

Port Hope, Ontario Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and west of Kingston, Ontario, Kingston. It is at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County, Onta ...

; and graduated from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...

in 1956 with a

Bachelor of Commerce A Bachelor of Commerce (BCom or B Com) is an undergraduate degree in commerce, accounting, mathematics, economics, and management-related subjects. The degree is mainly offered in Commonwealth nations. Structure Bachelor of Commerce The Bac ...

degree.

Business career

After graduation he worked for the Great West Life Assurance Company and subsequently, Richardson Securities of Canada as a corporate

underwriter Underwriting (UW) services are provided by some large financial institutions, such as banks, insurance companies and investment houses, whereby they guarantee payment in case of damage or financial loss and accept the financial risk for liability ...

. Concurrently, he operated Cavendish Investing Ltd., to which, commencing in 1968, he devoted all of his time. Within a few years of taking over

from his father, he moved the company's operations to

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 ...

, where he would build it into a major international force in the

book publishing Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

industry. By 1971, he had orchestrated the

buyout In finance, a buyout is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity, or a controlling interest of a company, or a majority share of the capital stock of the company is acquired. The acquirer thereby "buys out" the present equity holde ...

of British publisher

Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general publisher. The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. In 1971, the ...

and had contracted with

Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first Paperback#Mass market paperback, mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and ...

and

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

to distribute the Mills & Boon novels in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. In addition, he oversaw expansion to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in 1974,

The Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

in 1975, set up a joint venture in 1976 in

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

and in 1977 established a subsidiary in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Bonnycastle saw his company grow to where it would command 80% of the

romance fiction A romance or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primarily focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed to the developme ...

market in North America. In late 1975, Toronto Star Ltd. purchased a 52.5% interest in Harlequin Enterprises and in 1981 acquired the balance of the company's shares. Bonnycastle also published 4 books: ''To Ride the Wind'' – ''Albert Hochbaum'', ''A Gentleman Adventurer'', ''I Fought Reil'', ''My Life with Birds – Angus Shortt''.

Harlequin Ranches

Bonnycastle's great-great-great-grandfather, Darcy Boulton, was Canada's first racing steward. Bonnycastle became involved with the sport of

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

in the early 1970s. In 1973, he was one of the founding members of the board of stewards of the

Jockey Club of Canada {{Short description, Former Canadian jockey club The Jockey Club of Canada was formed in 1973 to oversee thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the club is responsible for the annual Sovereign Awards program and the Canadian ...

and served as its chairman starting in 2005. Racing under the name Harlequin Ranches at racetracks across Canada as well as in the United States, he has also campaigned horses in Europe. In the 1970s, one of his best runners in Canada was a multiple stakes-winning son of the great

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred that, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. After being retired from racing, he became one of the most successful Stallion, sires of the 2 ...

named Nice Dancer. In 1978, Bonnycastle won the

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...

1,000 Guineas Stakes The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1 ...

with Enstone Spark. He was also a partner in Mr Combustible who won the 2001

Chester Vase The Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 63 yards () at ...

and

Geoffrey Freer Stakes The Geoffrey Freer Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 1 mile, 5 furlongs and 61 yards (2,671 m ...

and in Canada, his

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States ...

, Gold Strike, was voted the 2005 Canadian Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. Bonnycastle was a partner in Yankee Bravo who won the 2008

California Derby The California Derby was a race for Thoroughbred horses held early in the year at Golden Gate Fields until the track's closure on June 9, 2024. An ungraded stakes, it was open to three-year-olds at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on a ...

Personal life and death

Bonnycastle supported various causes related to nature and the environment and had been a council member of Fort Whyte Centre for Environmental Education (1988–2015), trustee of the Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research (1990–1995), co-founder of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association (1988), trustee of the North American Wildlife Foundation, operating Delta Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Station (1978–1988). Bonnycastle died on March 8, 2023, at the age of 88.

References

External links

Government of Manitoba Archives on the Bonnycastle family

Richard Bonnycastle Jr. at the NTRA
* Jensen, Margaret Ann. 1984. ''Love's $weet return: The Harlequin Story''. Popular Press.
''Montreal Gazette'' - August 13, 1977 article on Harlequin Enterprises

August 28, 2007 ''Bloodhorse'' article on Dick Bonnycastle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonnycastle, Richard A. N. 1934 births 2023 deaths Richard A. N. Bonnycastle University of Manitoba alumni Businesspeople from Winnipeg Canadian book publishers (people) Canadian racehorse owners and breeders Harlequin Enterprises