He was awarded O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) on November 17, 1988 and Invested on April 12, 1989 by the Canadian Governor General in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Former chairman of the Southam Press Limited, President of The Canadian Press and Vice- Chairman of the Council of the Commonwealth Press Union, he became known as one of the most highly respected newspaper publishers in Canada. He was equally well-known, however, for his outstanding contributions to the arts, medicine and education through such organizations as The Duke of Edinburgh's Awards in Canada, the University of Toronto, The Canadian Heart Foundation and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.