Hunter Seafield GRANT

1942 - 2024

Hunter Seafield Grant July 25, 1942 - January 17, 2024 In his 82nd year, husband, father, grandpa, newspaper proprietor, Internet pioneer, enthusiastic fisherman, hunter, squash player and country music fan. Hunter Seafield Grant was the son of Malcolm Seafield Grant, RCNVR (HMCS Alberni 1944) and Helen Lois Graham (1958), born in Brockville during the dark days of World War II. After his father perished in the sinking of the Alberni, Hunter's mother used the insurance proceeds to purchase shares in the Brockville Recorder and Times from her grandmother, and this purchase set the life path for three generations of the family, including Hunter's children, Meredith and Kingsley. He had a happy childhood beside the St. Lawrence, a gap year in England, and then Sir George Williams University with his new bride and the love of his life, Betty Ogilvie. He returned to work in the composing room, a good place to get a feel for what makes a newspaper tick, especially in the hot-type era. In 1968, the death of his stepfather, Findlay Maclean, meant Hunter and his sisters began their operation of the newspaper and the time for modernization at Ontario's oldest newspaper was at hand… cold type, front end and a beta site for new technology again and again. As the newspaper prospered, Hunter began to assume leadership roles in the Canadian Daily Newspaper Association and Canadian Press, especially in areas of changing and challenging technology. He was also chair of the Newspaper Marketing Board. He was early to add the Internet to the portfolio, and Ripnet was one of the first newspaper-owned providers. As the number of independent newspapers dwindled, Hunter and St. Catharines publisher, Henry Burgoyne, founded the Independent Dailies of Ontario. The organization made it possible to make bulk purchases and share ideas in a time of radical change, to say nothing of hosting memorable parties. When the Recorder and Times was sold in 1998, it was the last surviving independent. He served for eight years on the board of Corel, an interesting time, and an opportunity for frequent squash games with CEO, Michael Cowpland, timed to Ottawa meetings. Hunter's devotion to charitable fundraising produced effective results for the Brockville Y, Brockville General Hospital, Palliative Care, Ookpik Winter Carnival, Customs House Rockport, the Aquatarium, the Brockville Foundation and BGH Cardiovascular program. Hunter's many fundraising successes were acknowledged with a Brockville Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award. Hunter loved to fish, and travelled to great spots around the country and came home and wrote about his trips. People saved the columns in their scrapbooks and dreamed of doing the same. The Recorder was sold to Sun Media in 1998, and in 2000, Hunter and Kingsley bought back Ripnet, the Internet provider. At Ripnet, they built and launched Canada's first wireless broadband network, using licensed spectrum. Ripnet was sold in 2011. The Grants spent many happy winters in Naples, Florida. They made close friends, Hunter fished to his heart's content, played golf and squash, and Betty became a Mah-Jongg star. Their purchase of Cordwood Island, in the 1000 Islands, followed by the move to Rockport, ON, cemented his devotion to the Grenadier Island Club, a special golf course and club in the heart of the 1000 Islands, where he served on the board and as president. Hunter is survived by his wife, Betty Ogilvie, in their 60th year of marriage; his daughter, Meredith Gorrell (Brock), an outstanding fundraiser herself; son, Kingsley (Denise), a charter fisherman in Victoria, BC; two grandsons, Hunter (Jade) of Wasa, BC, and Walker, Sailor First Class, HMCS Ottawa, Esquimalt, BC. He is also survived by his sister and business partner, Perry Beverley (Michael); a niece, Dorcas Taylor; and two nephews, David and Hunter Taylor; as well as a group of dear first cousins. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his stepfather, Findlay Maclean; and his sister, Victoria Graham Maclean. A visitation and an opportunity to celebrate Hunter was held at the Aquatarium, Brockville, on Friday, January 19th between 1 - 4 p.m. Donations to the Brockville and District Hospital Foundation, Palliative Care, will be gratefully acknowledged.