NORWICH, ON – Glenn Baxter, a founding member of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) and the founder of Nor-Del Cablevision, was laid to rest Wednesday in Norwich, ON. He died in hospital on February 28 in his 80th year.
Baxter graduated from the Ryerson Institute of Technology as an engineering technologist in 1956 and carried his love of electronics and system design with him his entire life. His early career included positions at Group Northern Electric, (eventually part of Nortel), where he designed and installed television studios and master control video/audio switching systems for television stations.
At Delta Electronics, he was responsible for the design and sale of cable TV products, and as the General Manager of Beaver Electronics, Noram Communications, and Connector Craft, Baxter oversaw all operations of the companies’ involvement in the manufacture of antennas, electronic devices, and connectors for the cable television industry, and the construction and maintenance of cable television systems. He was also the founder/president of Tek-Tap Limited in Mississauga and Brampton ON, which designed and manufactured passive devices for the cable television industry.
In 1979, Baxter received his licence from the CRTC to construct a cable system servicing the communities of Norwich, Otterville and Delhi in southwestern Ontario. The system was built with 600 MHz active equipment, (the first in the industry), and a coaxial super trunk linking the three communities to the headend. Today, Nor-Del Cablevision is a family-operated company offering TV, Internet and telephone services to approximately 2,200 customers in Norwich, Otterville, Delhi, Port Dover, and Waterford.
Baxter also served a term as director and president of the Ontario Cable Telecommunications Association, and was a director and vice-chairman of the now defunct Canadian Cable Television Association. An avid supporter of his community, he was actively involved in projects such as the Norwich Medical Centre, Woodstock Hospital Foundation, and the Nor-Del Arena.
CCSA president Alyson Townsend called Baxter “one of the true entrepreneurs of this industry” and likened him to fellow Canadian cable pioneers and philanthropists Owen Boris and Irving Schwartz.
“His company, though it was small, was the very first to go fully digital within the CCSA membership”, Townsend told Cartt.ca. “And the reason for that was that Glenn really wanted to provide his customers with what they wanted – he was firm believer in choice, that his customers should be able to choose what they wanted to receive. Fortunately for CCSA, (Nor-Del) is a family-owned company and we hope that it will continue to be directed by his son Mark, and that Mark will continue his legacy.”
Townsend recalled that Baxter did all his own drawings and specifications for upgrades to his cable system, and that he also spearheaded industry-wide standards still in use by Ontario hydro companies requiring support structure changes.
Baxter “loved the business”, Townsend continued, and recounted his determination to appear before the CRTC during the Bell/Astral hearings in Montreal in 2012.
“Glenn was always a good participant of CCSA and he felt it was important to appear in front of the CRTC to let them know what his customers were thinking, and he knew his customers well", she said. "So he came to Montreal – he actually had to plan that appearance around his dialysis treatments so that he could have that one day to appear on our panel – so that he could tell the Commission that there still needed to be room for the local entrepreneur who was civic-minded and gave back to the community.
“A funny part of that story is, and we didn’t know this, was at the end of the day, he asked where the bus stop was… and we were kind of surprised. And he said yes, he had taken the bus there from Norwich (Ed note: some 686 km) and he was going to take the bus back, at 79 years old”, said Townsend through laughter. “We got him a car. And it wasn’t like he didn’t understand modern technology, it’s that he also understood the value of a nickel.”
Baxter is survived by his wife of 57 years, Velma, their children Ken (Helen), Mark, Ricky, Don (Nancy), and Brian (Mary), and seven grandchildren. As expressions of sympathy, the family has asked that donations be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Kidney Foundation of Canada, or the Canadian Diabetes Association.
