John W. Grace

Who was John W. Grace?

John William Grace was the first Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

He was born in Ottawa, Ontario and attended St. Patrick's High School there. His education continued in Ottawa at St. Patrick's College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts diploma and where he was close classmates with Douglas Roche and John Turner who became federal politicians. Grace then moved to Washington, D.C. where he attended The Catholic University of America. After receiving a Master of Arts there in 1952, he proceeded to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Michigan in 1958.

In 1958, Grace returned to Canada and entered journalism, becoming a member of the Ottawa Journal's editorial board. He remained with that newspaper until its demise in 1980, two years after he became its chief editor and vice-president. Grace had directed the Journal's editorial policy since 1972, after being an associate editor since 1962. Between 1971 and 1977, Grace was also a member of the Canada Council, serving there for two terms. After the Ottawa Journal closed, Grace was appointed to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission as a full-time commissioner.