Former Star editor was ‘tough as nails’
Ted Bolwell left his mark on famed publications in both Canada and the U.S.
If you were a Toronto Star reporter in the mid-’70s, you knew better than to mess with Ted Bolwell, an Australian expat with the temperament of a Tasmanian devil.
“He was tough as nails and had a tongue on him that could carve you up like a turkey if you didn’t perform to his standards,” said veteran automotive journalist Norris McDonald, who worked with Bolwell at the Star.
For all of his toughness, Bolwell was a well-liked editor who left a mark on famed publications in both Canada and the United States.
He died Sunday, soon after a hip replacement operation. He was 85.
Bolwell was born in Victoria, Australia, and began his career at the Melbourne Herald, one of the country’s biggest newspapers.
At 25 years old, he moved to Toronto to work for the CBC, editing radio news for a few months. He had a nine-year stint at the Globe and Mail in various roles, including as the national editor and editor of the paper’s weekly magazine.
“He did not tolerate mistakes and errors,” said John Ferguson, a close friend of Bolwell’s. “You wouldn’t want him editing your copy, it better be clean.”
In 1967, he made his first foray into American media, working as the assistant city editor at the New York Times for three years. He then performed several roles at Time magazine, before arriving at the Star in 1973. Within a few months, he became managing editor.
A Time story from1974 said Bolwell was brought in to “upgrade the Star’s editorial content,” and he was portrayed as a no-nonsense newspaperman with high expectations of his staff. Bolwell was game for a challenge. “I love to stand on a tightrope and juggle with both hands,” he told Time.
Known for his hard-nosed approach, Bolwell also had a soft side.
“He could be kind to young reporters and deskers if they didn’t measure up but were trying their best,” McDonald said.
His tough approach seemed to pay off.
“Ted has helped make the Star a brighter and livelier newspaper,” Star editor-in-chief Martin Goodman wrote when Bolwell resigned from the Star in 1976.
In his resignation letter, Bolwell joked that he had missed his deadline in writing the letter because he dreaded leaving.
“The biggest factor weighing against the decision I ultimately made was you (the staff ),” he wrote. “You are the most talented staff I have ever had the privilege of working with.”
Bolwell ended his career as a consultant for newspapers and magazines, and Ferguson said he played an important role in creating MoneySense, the personal finance magazine owned by Rogers Communications.
“He touched a lot of people, a lot of journalists,” Ferguson said. “He didn’t suffer fools gladly . . . but you always knew where you stood with Ted. He called a spade a spade.”
He is survived by his children, Farley and Nicole, and his five grandchildren.
There will be a celebration of his life on Jan. 29 in the community room of 33 Harbour Square, by the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.