Broadcast industry leader and philanthropist Gary Slaight is among the 2023 Canada’s Walk of Fame inductees.
Slaight, 72, is the President and CEO of Slaight Communications, Slaight Music, and The Slaight Family Foundation.
He started his professional career in promotions at Quality Records and Warner Music, eventually landing at Q107 (CILQ-FM) Toronto as program director. Working alongside his late father Allan Slaight, he became president of Standard Radio in 1987, growing the radio group from seven stations to 63. He was named CEO in 2000 and went on to help bring satellite radio to Canada in 2005 via a partnership between Slaight Communications, CBC and Sirius Satellite Radio.
Since the establishment of the Slaight Family Foundation in 2008, following the sale of Standard Broadcasting to Astral Media, the charity has doled out $195 million to causes from supporting Toronto hospitals to the human rights of women and girls, international NGOs, mental health, food security, and helping Toronto’s theatre industry recover from the pandemic.
In a video posted to the Canada’s Walk of Fame social channels, Slaight said he was proud to join his father on the Walk of Fame, who was inducted in 2020.
“It’s great to follow in your footsteps and I want to thank you very much for being a) – a great dad and b) – for teaching me so much,” said Slaight.
Watch Visionary Philanthropist & Broadcast Industry Leader #GarySlaight react to his 2023 @cwofame Induction! 🎥 #CanadaThrives #CWOF25th pic.twitter.com/qaOVyAAx25
— Canada’s Walk of Fame (@CWOFame) August 16, 2023
Slaight is among five newly-announced Walk of Fame inductees, including Roots Canada founders Don Green and Michael Budman (Entrepreneurship & Philanthropy), award-winning actress Tantoo Cardinal (Arts & Entertainment), and pop superstar Avril Lavigne (Arts & Entertainment).
They join previously announced 2023 inductees Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella (Humanitarianism); Edmonton Oilers Captain Connor McDavid (Sports and Athletics); comedian and commentator Rick Mercer (Arts and Entertainment); pioneering neuroscientist and the oldest living inductee at 105, Dr. Brenda Milner (Science, Technology and Innovation); and groundbreaking Canadian television series Degrassi (Arts and Entertainment).
Canada’s Walk of Fame 25th Anniversary Celebration will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Dec. 2, honouring this year’s inductees with a special broadcast to air at a later date on CTV.
Canada’s Walk of Fame will also welcome 13 Canadian rock legends – April Wine, Chilliwack, Glass Tiger, Lee Aaron, Lighthouse, Loverboy, Max Webster, Michael Pagliaro, Platinum Blonde, PRISM, Rough Trade, The Parachute Club and Trooper – in a special Canada’s Rock of Fame induction event on Sept. 28 at Massey Hall.
The final inductees for 2023 will be announced in the coming months, along with this year’s Allan Slaight Music Impact and the Community and National Hero Honourees.
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