{{Short description|Canadian politician (1940–2013)}} '''Neil Reynolds''' (1940 – May 19, 2013) was a Canadian journalist, editor and former leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada.
{{Infobox officeholder | name = Neil Reynolds | image = | caption = | office = | president = | term_start = | term_end = | predecessor = | office1 = 6th leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada | order1 = | president1 = | term_start1 = 1982 | term_end1 = 1983 | predecessor1 = Linda Cain | successor1 = Victor Levis | birth_name = Neil Reynolds | birth_date = Late 1940 | birth_place = | death_date = May 19, 2013 | death_place = | education = | allegiance = | branch = | rank = }}
==Career in journalism== Born in Kingston, Ontario in 1940,<ref name=whigobit/> Reynolds dropped out of high school and became a journalist.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/neil-reynolds-an-editor-who-never-ran-with-the-pack-dies-at-72|title=Neil Reynolds, an editor who never ran with the pack, dies at 72 |website=National Post|date=2013-05-20|language=en-CA|access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref>
After working as a journalist at the ''Sarnia Observer'' and the ''London Free Press'' he became city editor of the ''Toronto Star'', leaving in 1974 to join the ''Kingston Whig-Standard'', becoming its editor-in-chief in 1978.<ref name=whigobit>{{cite news|title=Former Whig editor Neil Reynolds was 'the great editor' of his time|url=http://www.thewhig.com/2013/05/19/former-whig-editor-neil-reynolds-was-the-great-editor-of-his-time|accessdate=May 19, 2013|newspaper=Kingston Whig-Standard|date=May 19, 2013}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
Reynolds left Kingston to become editor-in-chief of the ''New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal'' and ''Saint John Times-Globe'' in 1992.<ref name=globeobit>{{cite news|last=Morrow|first=Andrew|title=Veteran newspaper editor Neil Reynolds dead at age 72|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/veteran-newspaper-editor-neil-reynolds-dead-at-age-72/article12024148/|accessdate=May 20, 2013|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=May 20, 2013}}</ref> He was hired by Conrad Black as editor-in-chief of the ''Ottawa Citizen'' in 1996 and remained there until 2000 when he became editor-in-chief at the ''Vancouver Sun'' until 2003.<ref name=":0" />
He then moved to back Ottawa, Ontario and in 2007, he and his wife, Donna, bought ''Diplomat & International Canada'', a magazine published in Ottawa.<ref>{{cite news|last=Haig|first=Terry|title=Neil Reynolds dies at 72|url=http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2013/05/20/neil-reynolds-dies-at-72/|accessdate=May 20, 2013|newspaper=Radio Canada International|date=May 20, 2013}}</ref> In September 2009, he became editor-at-Large of three daily newspapers owned by Brunswick News Inc, including the ''Telegraph-Journal'' and its two sister publications, the ''Times & Transcript'' and ''The Daily Gleaner''.<ref name=globeobit/><ref>CBC News: [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/n-b-newspapers-tap-neil-reynolds-as-editor-1.818990 "N.B. newspapers tap Neil Reynolds as editor"] September 9, 2009</ref> Reynolds ended his career as a columnist for the ''Report on Business'' section of ''The Globe and Mail'', submitting what would be his final column in the summer of 2012.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/editor-neil-reynolds-fought-for-free-speech-and-liberty/article12055528/|title=Editor Neil Reynolds fought for free speech and liberty|access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref>
==Politics==
Although he had been a supporter of the New Democratic Party in earlier years, he entered politics as the Libertarian Party of Canada's candidate in the 1982 by-election in the riding of Leeds–Grenville. He won 13.4% of the vote, which was the highest percentage vote ever garnered by a Libertarian Party of Canada candidate, either then or since.<ref>Libertarian Bulletin Vol.8, No. 6, November–December 1982, Page 6</ref> In May 1982, he became the party's leader,<ref>Toronto Star, Monday May 24, 1982</ref> but resigned in 1983 in order to return to his post as Editor of the Kingston ''Whig-Standard''.<ref>Libertarian Bulletin Vol. 9, No. 4, July–August 1983</ref>
==Personal life==
Reynolds' widow, Donna Jacobs, is an Ottawa-based freelance feature writer and columnist. He died on May 19, 2013, of cancer at the age of 72, leaving his wife, three children, and grandchildren.<ref name=":0" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311050606/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0011183 Black's New Look Ottawa Citizen] 1997 ''Maclean's'' feature concentrates on Reynolds and his career. * [https://j-source.ca/article/neil-reynolds-remembered/ Neil Reynolds Remembered] An article from JSource that looks at Neil Reynolds career and his impact on Canadian journalism * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100307032249/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/columnists/neil-reynolds/ Neil Reynolds' Columns] ''The Globe and Mail''
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{succession box|title=Libertarian Party of Canada leader| before=Linda Cain| after=Victor Levis| years=1982-1983}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Neil}} Category:Canadian newspaper editors Category:Canadian male journalists Category:Libertarian Party of Canada leaders Category:1940 births Category:2013 deaths Category:Journalists from Ontario Category:Politicians from Kingston, Ontario Category:The Globe and Mail people Category:Ontario candidates for Member of Parliament Category:Libertarian Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons Category:The Globe and Mail columnists Category:Canadian libertarians