Aspin believer in fair media

Readers of The Guardian, indeed all devotees of newspapers, owe a tip of the hat to the late John F. Aspin of Belle River.

For many years, Capt. Aspin served as this newspaper’s public member on the Atlantic Press Council. The council was a selfregulatory body that governed the daily newspaper industry in the Atlantic provinces.

It was established in 1983 with two main aims: to promote ethical practices within the Atlantic newspaper community and to serve as a forum for complaints against its members.

Capt. Aspin was best known on Prince Edward Island for his work with Northumberland Ferries Limited. He joined the company as general manager in 1973 and remained in that position until his retirement in the mid-1990s.

He was also active in other areas of the community, including his great love and promotion of the game of squash. The Island’s squash community credits Aspin with bringing the modern squash game to P.E.I. in 1975, when he returned from a trip to England with plans for international-sized courts. The annual Aspin Cup tournament held on the Island bears his name.

He was also passionate about the environment, especially when it came to the issue of sand mining in the Pinette area on the Island’s south shore, an area of the province he cherished.

Gary MacDougall,

Cornwall,

(retired P.E.I. journalist)