SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Tributes
The Late Honourable David Osborn Braley, O.C.
October 29, 2020
Honourable senators, I rise to remember a former colleague and friend who passed away on Monday, the Honourable David Braley. A proud Hamiltonian, he represented the province of Ontario here in the Senate. Although Senator Braley served just three years in the Senate, he left a lasting impression on all who knew him in this place, and he will be greatly missed in Hamilton, Ottawa and indeed all across our great country.
David Braley moved from Montreal to Hamilton as a small child, and from that point on, Hamilton would remain a major focus of his life’s work and charitable efforts. Evidence of his philanthropy is everywhere in that city. The David Braley Health Sciences Centre at McMaster University, the David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute at the Hamilton General Hospital, and the David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre at Mohawk College are just a few examples.
In his youth, David Braley was such a tough competitor while playing sports that he earned the nickname “Elbows.” His fierce determination served him well in business, as he acquired the company which would become Orlick Industries, a leading auto parts manufacturer. It is safe to say, however, that David Braley’s name is most connected with football in Canada. His impact on the Canadian Football League cannot be overstated, and it is difficult to say just where the CFL would be today if not for him. He was the owner and chair of the BC Lions, and also an owner of the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. His teams raised the Grey Cup four times, most recently in 2012 when the Argonauts won the historic 100th Grey Cup. That same year, David Braley also received the well-earned induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
After being named to the Senate on the advice of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper in 2010, he was a member of several Senate committees and served as deputy chair of the Rules Committee. For all of his tremendous success in business and his triumphs in sports, he remained a kind and compassionate man with a wicked sense of humour. As a senator, he displayed the generosity of spirit that took him so far in life. One year, to thank the Senate pages for a job well done, Senator Braley took them all to a CFL football game in Toronto, where they watched the Argonauts take on the BC Lions. This is who David Braley was.
Almost a year ago, Senator Braley was named an Officer of the Order of Canada, a fitting recognition of his contributions to the CFL and a lifetime of leadership in his community. On behalf of the entire Conservative caucus, and on behalf of all honourable senators, I offer sincere condolences and best wishes to his wife Nancy and their children on the loss of this remarkable man.
Honourable colleagues, while I did not have the pleasure of working with former Senator David Braley, I rise today on behalf of the Independent Senators Group to pay tribute to a man whose impact across Canada, and particularly in my home province of British Columbia, will not be soon forgotten.
In 1997, David Braley became the owner of British Columbia’s CFL team, the BC Lions. His long history of success in business quickly translated to success on the field as the Lions captured the Grey Cup in 2000, their first of three under his ownership. David Braley collected a total of four Grey Cup wins during his time as an owner in the CFL. Under his leadership, the Lions became known as one of British Columbia’s model corporate citizens, a team active in charitable and community programs, focused on health and wellness, public education and the development of amateur football.
While he is best known for his contributions to the CFL, David Braley was also instrumental in keeping professional soccer alive in British Columbia when he took ownership of the Vancouver 86ers from 1997 to 2000, allowing the club to thrive today as the Vancouver Whitecaps.
David Braley was appointed to the Senate by former Prime Minister Harper in 2010, when he represented the province of Ontario until 2013. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2019, “for his contributions to the Canadian Football League, and for his entrepreneurial and philanthropic leadership in his community.”
Rick Dhaliwal, Contributor on TSN 1040 and writer for The Athletic Vancouver said:
My last conversation with David, he kept talking about what was best for the Lions, what was best for Vancouver, what was best for the CFL.
Nobody cared more about 3 down football than David.
One of the best owners this city will ever see.
He will be missed.
Honourable senators, it’s with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to an iconic Canadian, our former colleague and friend the late Honourable David Braley.
David was a football enthusiast to the core. Born in Montreal and moving to Hamilton at a young age, he played football growing up and became a regular at Tiger-Cats games. After attending McMaster University, he began his business career with General Motors Acceptance Corporation in Hamilton, before joining London Life Insurance.
He entered the CFL in 1989 as the owner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He later became the CFL club’s owner ahead of the 1997 Canadian Football League season, fulfilling a dream that I’m sure any boy who grew up with the love of football would have had.
Senator Plett has talked about Senator Braley’s achievements as a club owner of both the BC Lions and the Toronto Argonauts, with four Grey Cup championships, but I want to add that the three, in 2000, 2006 and 2011, were all with the BC Lions — a hometown favourite and, of course, with legions of fans across the province.
His love for sports did not end there, as he also owned soccer’s Vancouver 86ers and later the A-League’s Vancouver Whitecaps until 2000. He also served as chairman of the 2003 World Cycling Championships in Hamilton and was a director of Ontario’s successful bid to host the 2015 Pan American Games.
As a British Columbian and a fellow sports enthusiast, I’m grateful to our beloved former colleague for his generous contribution and commitment to the B.C. franchises on behalf of their fans, including my father-in-law and husband, to be able to see a team like the BC Lions do so well and really be a place for a community to come together — people of all ages. And as Senator Woo mentioned, I know the BC Lions partnered with EVA BC, a charitable organization focused on ending violence against women. It was a very successful campaign that became a model for other organizations.
In 2010, David began a new chapter in his life when he was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and proudly served Ontario for three years in this esteemed chamber. I had the honour, like many of us, to work alongside David and to serve Canadians above all.
As deputy whip at the time, I recall sitting in front of him or near him in our chamber, and of David being a very valued member of our caucus. He was loyal, kind and someone whom we could depend on from beginning to end.
To his wife family who will mourn his passing, we mourn with you. You are part of our Senate family, and we will miss and remember David Braley going forward.
Honourable senators, I rise on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, and I’m thinking of what Senator Plett just said about David and his very important comment about McMaster University. I began to scribble early this afternoon, and one of the notepads I picked up is from McMaster University. It’s one I like, a nice binder, and it’s a very good school, of course, and he gave so much to that school. We can talk about football, but David was a good man.
As I put my notes down, I kept thinking of a giant of a man, which obviously means that we never saw eye-to-eye on many things except the love of football. We always seemed to be walking down the stairs together into the old Senate Chamber. After seeing it yesterday, I really miss that place.
We had conversations about football, we talked about his love of football and about his family and the love of his children. He talked about his children and how he loved his children so much. He talked modestly that he was a reasonably wealthy man, so at one point during our conversations I asked if he could adopt me. I said I’m a humble reporter who spent too many Friday nights at the National Press Club and didn’t save a cent.
Senator Braley wasn’t here long enough. He was a man of common sense, he had strong conservative values, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what we view as a man. His real love was family, and I want to emphasize that.
Senator Klyne from Saskatchewan sent me a note, and I want to read it. It was from the Regina Leader Post written by Rob Vanstone, a columnist, talking about the true champion he was. It says:
The Saskatchewan Roughriders registered the victory. David Braley got the save.
Such was the storyline on Nov. 26, 1989, when the Roughriders outlasted the Braley-owned Hamilton Tiger-Cats 43-40 in the greatest of all Grey Cup games.
It goes on to talk about his life. He was only 79 when he passed away but, as he says in this column, “without him, there might not be a league,” the teams he owned and what he did. Yes, he was a philanthropist, but he was a good man who really loved three-down football, which I loved, and it was near and dear to his heart. He goes on to say:
One can only imagine how many tens (hundreds?) of millions of dollars he sacrificed to allow the Tiger-Cats, Lions and Argonauts to remain in business.
I’ll leave the last quote to Roughriders president-CEO Jim Hopson, like Braley a member of the builders’ wing of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He said this two days ago:
He was passionate about football and the CFL — a lifelong fan. He was a very principled person — a straight shooter who held himself and those around him accountable. He could be intimidating, but there was a warm, generous and gracious side to David.
Rest in peace.
Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to one of my former bosses and former Senate colleague the Honourable David Braley. David was successful in every sense of the word. His determined spirit and principled character allowed him to build a business empire started in finance, moving into the automotive parts business and continuing into professional sports.
His passion, as has been outlined here, for the Canadian Football League was unwavering. I saw this first-hand during my time as Commissioner of the CFL. He fiercely believed in grassroots support for the league, the idea that every Canadian could grow to love the CFL and that the league could be a permanent part of what it means to be Canadian. It’s no secret that the CFL faced many challenges over the years, but David’s commitment to the league allowed it to weather some of its biggest storms.
As an aside: In 1997, two men saved the league. One of them was David Braley through the purchase of the BC Lions; the other was Bob Wetenhall through the purchase of the Alouettes. At that time the league was within minutes of going bankrupt, and so it was quite an experience trying to be the commissioner of this league.
David’s love of country and community was evidenced not only by his service in the Senate, but also by his generous donations to his local communities, which has been mentioned today. His awe-inspiring life culminated with being named to the Order of Canada, capping off a life full of service to his country.
On behalf of my Senate colleagues, I wish to offer my sincere condolences to David’s family and friends during this difficult time.
David, thank you for all you’ve contributed to Canada and your community, and I think he’d appreciate it from you.
Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to my former seatmate Senator David Braley.
When I was first appointed to the Senate I had the good fortune of being seated next to David.
When I took my seat next to him, we kind of sized each other up. We couldn’t have been a more unlikely pair, but we soon realized how much we had in common despite our different backgrounds.
We had many heartfelt discussions about our roles in the Senate. He took the time to teach me valuable lessons that have served me well.
David was a humble and down-to-earth man who every sitting day would say to me, “Time for my glass of milk. Watch my seat, Salma.” I would joke with him, and he would chuckle so much that Senator Jaffer asked me one day, “What do you say to Senator Braley? I have never seen him laugh that much.”
I later learned about all the amazing charity work he quietly did. After I got to know David, he shared his childhood story with me. What I heard shall remain private. They were shared in confidence. My admiration for him grew even more when I realized all the obstacles that he had faced.
The level of success David had, most people will never achieve that in a single lifetime.
David, I hope, wherever you are, you’re enjoying a glass of milk, looking down on all the lives you have touched. I was fortunate to have you guide me, and I will never forget the most valuable lesson you taught me: “Salma, don’t speak all the time, or people will get used to the sound of your voice and stop listening.”
Today, I speak to remember you, David. May you rest in peace and joy, my dear friend and mentor.
Honourable senators, I would ask that you rise and join me in a minute of silence in memory of our former colleague.
Thank you very much, esteemed colleagues.
