By Eddie Grant
TORONTO:

Denham Jolly, a media pioneer and the driving force behind Toronto’s first Black-owned radio station, Flow 93.5 was honoured during Black History Month.

He was presented with an award in early February at the CaribbeanTales Youth Film Festival organised by CaribbeanTales and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Jolly was born in Negril, Jamaica and migrated to Canada in the early 1950s. He attended McGill University in 1955 where he graduated with a degree in science. Jolly also earned an Ontario High School Teaching Certificate and taught chemistry and physics at the prestigious Forest Hill Collegiate.

Following his stint as a teacher, Jolly became an entrepreneur and bought properties and homes which he rented to students. He owned many properties in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and beyond, including a Days Inn Hotel in West Toronto, a nursing home in Texas, two medical laboratories, and the Tyndal Nursing Home in Toronto, which he still owns.

He was one of the founding members of the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) that organises the annual prestigious Harry Jerome Awards.

In 1982, he bought Contrast newspaper which became the voice of the Black community and in 2004 with financial backing from several investors, he bought Toronto’s first Black radio station Flow 93.5FM which changed the landscape of Canadian broadcasting. In his acceptance speech Jolly promised to continue being supportive of his community.

The award was presented by Cameron Bailey, co-director of the Toronto International Film Festival.

The other highlight of the film festival was the showing of the award winning Jamaican feature film, Better Mus Come.