MAGOG, QC – Omer Girard, one of the founding fathers of Canadian cable television, died Saturday at his home in Magog, Que.
A remarkable entrepreneur in Canada’s telecommunications industry who made a name for himself in the 1960s and ’70s with his epic battle for open access to telecom infrastructure was 92.
In 1957, Girard founded Transvision Magog, one of the most storied cable companies in Canadian history. Between 1960 and 1967, he launched five other cable businesses and cofounded the Canadian Cable Television Association, of which he became president in 1968. However, Girard stood out as the one who would lead and win an historic battle which allowed hundreds of new cable company entrepreneurs to own and operate as independent businesses using shared infrastructure.
In 1973, Girard merged his cable networks with Cablestrie, a company acquired by Cogeco. In the same year, he also founded the Association des câblodistributeurs du Québec, for which he served as President until 1977. He was also the founding president of the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Magog. The organization recently honoured him by renaming its annual gala “La Soirée des Omer.”
In the early 1970s, Girard, a former fighter pilot, fought against Bell Canada, whose early contracts with cablecos would not only demand pole rental fee, but also claimed full ownership rights to the new cable aerial architecture. The only parts of their networks which cable companies retained ownership were the subscriber drops and amplifiers.
His biggest contribution to the triumph of the independent cable companies came in December of 1972 when he earned the title “the hero of Magog” from his contemporaries. Bell had been pushing him for a number of years to sign a new agreement that would essentially transfer ownership of his entire system to the big telco. Girard refused saying all he would then be is a bill collector for Bell. All cable operators facing similar agreements with telcos reacted the same way back then. However, Bell decided to play hardball and make an example of Transvision Magog, cutting the wires right off the poles to 200 subscribers in Lake Memphramagog, just days before Christmas.
Girard was on hand to take pictures of the telco’s actions and what was to be a local fight meant to scare a cable company into contract compliance became national news with those photos as Bell was depicted on the front page of the Globe and Mail as the mean monopoly cutting Canadians’ TV off during the holiday season. The four-year-old CRTC stepped in immediately and forced Bell to reconnect everyone within days.
That battle led directly to the Commission’s pole policy and rates, put in place in 1977, which allowed cable companies to retain ownership of their own networks and rent space on utility poles. However, the local Bell management in Magog and other regions served by Girard’s companies refused to allow him to put up any more wires on any of its infrastructure until that policy was released. So for more than five years, Transvision Magog couldn’t grow. His cable brethren recognized that sacrifice and through the CCTA, paid all of Girard’s legal bills throughout his fight with Bell.
“The big issue in those days was whether Bell was going to take us over or not. They could have killed the industry but guys like Omer made it really tough for them to do that because he got public opinion on his side," said Rogers vice-chairman Phil Lind in an interview with Cartt.ca. “He was always a big hit at the cable conventions. When Omer walked into the room, people stood up and cheered. He was a real hero.”
"Omer was a shrewd investor and operator who was forward-looking and always looking for ways to make things happen," added Cogeco CEO Louis Audet. "He was not afraid to try things and take calculated risks, likely because of his fighter pilot background. On the other hand, he knew how to evaluate the risks he took and acted in a well thought out manner. He visited us during the visiting for Henri last November as they were good friends. I guess they must now be wondering what the hell we are up to, and enjoying a good laugh about it!"
In 2012, Girard was also recognized by being inducted into Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame and granted the 2012 Neotelis Award for his lifetime career achievements.
He is predeceased by his wife Olive Griffiths, who died in 2005. The two were married in 1945, after Girard had served for four years in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. He will be remembered by his five children, nine grandchildren, and eleven great-grand-children, as well as many friends and colleagues.
A statement from the Girard family said a funeral will be held March 8 at Saint Patrick’s Church in Magog. Expressions of sympathy can be made by way of a donation to the Fondation l'Hôpital Memphrémagog.
