Denham Jolly facts for kids

Brandeis Denham Jolly, who has received the Order of Distinction (OD) and the Order of Canada (CM), is a well-known Jamaican Canadian businessman, publisher, and broadcaster. He is also a human rights activist, someone who gives to charity (a philanthropist), and the author of a book called In the Black: My Life. He used to be the head of Milestone Communications.

Early Life and Learning

Denham Jolly was born in Green Island, Jamaica. He went to Cornwall College there. Later, he moved to Canada to study. He attended the University of Guelph and Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. He also studied at McGill University in Montreal, where he earned a science degree in 1960.

His Amazing Career

After finishing his studies, Mr. Jolly went back to Jamaica and worked in nutrition research for the government. In 1962, he moved to Canada and started working on air pollution research in Toronto. He then decided to become a teacher, getting a teaching certificate. From 1963 to 1968, he taught Chemistry and Physics at Forest Hill Collegiate in Toronto.

Starting His Own Businesses

Mr. Jolly soon entered the business world. He bought a rooming house near the University of Toronto. In 1968, he opened Donsview Nursing Home in Toronto. He also built a Day's Inn Hotel in Mississauga, Ontario, and bought another nursing home in Dallas, Texas. For over 40 years, he owned and ran a large nursing and retirement home called Tyndall Nursing Home and Estates in Mississauga. At one point, he also owned two medical laboratories in Toronto.

Making a Difference in Media

In 1982, Mr. Jolly bought and published a community newspaper called Contrast. That same year, he helped start the Black Business and Professional Association and the Harry Jerome Awards, which celebrate the achievements of Black Canadians. He was also very active in groups that fought for civil rights and spoke out about fairness for everyone. He was a member of the Black Action Defence Committee and helped create the Committee for Due Process.

Mr. Jolly then worked for many years to launch Canada's first radio station owned by a Black person. This station was FLOW 93.5 CFXJ-FM, which he started through Milestone Communications. It took him 12 years to get the license for the station. His long struggle was even written about in big newspapers like the Washington Post and the Toronto Star. They showed how difficult it was to overcome racial barriers in Canada. Finally, in June 2000, he received the license. Both the Toronto Star and the Toronto Sun supported him, with the Toronto Sun saying that Toronto finally needed a Black-owned urban radio station.

FLOW 93.5 started broadcasting in February 2001. It was the first major radio station to play hip-hop music in Canada. It was also the first to play music by the famous Canadian artist Drake. The station actively helped promote Black musicians in Canada. FLOW 93.5 played a mix of talk shows and music. It also gave many Black Canadians important jobs in the broadcasting industry. Many famous artists like Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Rihanna, and Drake visited the FLOW Studios in Toronto. Even Sir Richard Branson, who started Virgin Mobile, came to launch his company there.

In 2005, FLOW 93.5 won the Station of the Year Award at the Canadian Music Week Industry Awards. That same year, Mr. Jolly invested in another radio station in Edmonton called The Bounce 91.7FM CHBN-FM.

Community Involvement and Awards

Mr. Jolly served on the boards of important organizations like the YMCA, Surrey Place, and the famous Toronto International Film Festival. He is currently on the board for the CaribbeanTales Media Group, which is a film company in Toronto. He has received many awards for his contributions to culture, including the Black Media Pioneer Award and the African Canadian Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2006, he received the Canadian Urban Institute's City Soul Award, and in 2007, a Black History Award.

In 2011, Mr. Jolly sold his radio stations for $27 million. He then invested in a real estate project in Barbados. He also developed a large beachfront property in Green Island, Jamaica, which he sold to Princess Hotels of Spain for a big hotel that opened in 2022.

Mr. Jolly has appeared on many TV and radio shows, including "The Agenda" with Steve Paikin and "CBC Radio Q" with Tom Powers. He has also been a keynote speaker and guest speaker at many events, including book festivals, libraries, schools, and organizations. He even reviewed his book for an inmates' book club at a prison.

Giving Back to the Community

Mr. Jolly is also known for his generous donations and charity work. Here are some examples:

• In 2008, he gave $50,000 to help create the Jean Augustine Chair in Education at York University.
• In 2010, after a terrible earthquake in Haiti, he paid for and organized a group of volunteers to send a large container of walking aids from his nursing home to Haiti.
• He donated $50,000 to the Urology Department at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.
• He also gave money to the Lucie & Thorton and Blackburn Conference Centre project at George Brown College in Toronto.
• In August 2019, he paid off the mortgage of the Jamaican Canadian Association centre with a donation of $312,000.
• In 2019, he restarted a breakfast program at his old school, Cornwall College in Jamaica, providing meals for sixty students every day.
• He continues to support the Industry Cove Basic School in Jamaica.
• Since 2019, he has sponsored the undefeated Regent Park boys under-12 soccer team. He has also sponsored other local and Olympic Canadian athletes over the years.
• In May 2021, he promised $25,000 to The Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University for an award named after him, the B. Denham Jolly Racial Justice Award.

He continues to support many other charitable efforts in the community.

His memoir, In the Black: My Life, was published in February 2017. The book won the 2017 Toronto Book Award. Mr. Jolly also received a special stone placed in Toronto's Official Book Garden to remember his work.

In March 2020, a filmmaker named Frances-Anne Solomon announced that she is making a movie based on Mr. Jolly's book. The movie is currently being made.

Honours and Recognitions

Mr. Jolly is listed in important books like Who’s Who of Ontario, Who’s Who of Canada, and Who’s Who of Professionals.

On February 28, 2017, the City of Toronto announced that a street in a new area of Scarborough would be named after Mr. Denham Jolly. This street, called "Jolly Way," honors his amazing contributions to Canada, especially in radio broadcasting. Jolly Way is located near Midland Avenue and Ellesmere Avenue. Councillor Michael Thompson said that Mr. Jolly helped give a voice to Toronto's Black and Caribbean communities when there were not many ways for their stories to be heard. On November 1, 2019, the City of Toronto held a celebration to officially unveil the street name.

• November 27, 2020: The Governor General of Canada announced that Mr. Jolly was appointed to the Order of Canada. He was the only Black Canadian among the 114 people given this high honor in 2020.
• May 22, 2021: The University of West Indies Toronto Benefit Awards honored Mr. Jolly with the G. Raymond Chang Award for his leadership and dedication to improving communities in Canada and beyond. He received this award alongside famous people like Ms. Naomi Campbell and Nelson Mandela's wife, Dr. Graça Machel.
• October 2, 2021: McGill University honored Mr. Jolly with the Macdonald Distinguished Alumni Award for his outstanding contributions to society.
• June 8, 2022: He received the Distinguished Leader Award at the McGill Toronto Excellence Awards Banquet.
• June 9, 2022: The University of Toronto gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. In his speech to over 400 graduates, he shared the message that "you can do well by doing good." The university recognized him as a foundational leader who promotes fairness, social justice, and opportunities in the Toronto area.
• October 17, 2022: The Jamaican government awarded B. Denham Jolly the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer. This is a national honor for his contributions to the Jamaican community living outside of Jamaica.
• June 15, 2023: The University of Guelph also gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. This recognized his life of service and his commitment to Canada, Black communities, and his homeland. Dr. Jolly's message in his speech was to "open your minds and your hearts to every culture without prejudice or bias." The university recognized his incredible success as a business owner, charity giver, leader, mentor, and advocate.