“THE WORST ENEMY of a regulatory lawyer is the marketing guy,” said Willie Grieve to me during a break at a hearing once. Perplexed, as a new CRTC communications person at the time, I said, “How so?”
“At the beginning, marketing guys come to you asking: Can I do this promotion? And we always say no. So, they stop coming and I get in trouble,” he added, and he walked away.
Those were the days when incumbents telephone companies were not allowed to lower their rates, in order to give a chance to competitors, even for promotions (the bread and butter of the marketing guys.).
That was Willie Grieve for you. In one sentence, he made me realize that those big companies were a dynamic place where debates occurred and not as monolithic as I imagined. Nothing is simple. Also, he was not afraid to diverge from the Company Line.
Willie (no Mister Grieve for him, it was Willie from the get-go) looked like he had walked on the set of the wrong movie. Where the norm at telecom hearings was blue suits, white shirts, prim and proper, he was a big man, with longish silver hair and cowboy boots.
He passed away on November 20th of cancer at the age of 65.
He had retired in May 2018 from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), which he had led from its creation in 2008 after 10 years helping lead the regulatory team at Telus.
“We at the AUC will miss Willie greatly, his warm, friendly and caring personal nature, his innate intellectual curiosity, extraordinary analytical skills, commitment to honourable principles in life and in work,” wrote Mark Kolesar, AUC Chair.
“He was my VP (regulatory affairs) when I joined Telus in 2004. He was a giant of a man with an even bigger intellect. He was kind, he was funny, he was to me a teacher, a concert musician, a terrific lacrosse player and made indelible contributions to the regulatory canvas in telecommunications and broadcasting and then later the regulation of electric, gas and water utilities in Alberta, said Ted Woodhead—SVP, federal government and regulatory affairs at Telus.
His boss at the time was Janet Yale, who is presently the Chair of the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel. She remembers the human side, the big brain and the largest heart of a caring bear of a man. When he was in Ottawa, he would often go to Fort Yale for dinner. Janet Yale’s son at the time was in high school and learning the trumpet, Willie, an accomplished trumpet player himself, would encourage him and try to get him to play. But like a typical 15 year-old he was too shy. He knew that a good instrument is important, but the most important part of the trumpet is the mouthpiece and the next time he came back, he gave Yale’s son a very good quality mouthpiece and he was adamant they play together but away from the parents. “That was Willie,” said Yale, “generous, caring … a big heart.”
An Albertan in his core, he was actually born in Penticton, B.C. and raised in Markham, Ont. He received a B.A. in political science from Carleton University in 1979, an advanced certificate in political science from the University of Saskatchewan in 1981 and an LLB from the University of Saskatchewan in 1984. He worked with the government of Poland and the People’s Republic of China in areas related to regulation and competition policy. His academic work has been published in the United States, Japan and Austria.
"Willie was a true competitor, and his commitment to excellence was reflected in every endeavour he undertook – from the modernisation of the regulatory environment within Canada’s telecommunications sector to his prowess as a lacrosse goalie." – Darren Entwistle
Canadian Telecom Summit co-founder and consultant Mark Goldberg remembers him well. One proceeding was televised on CPAC, “so my wife was recording the show when I was testifying. I would adjust my glasses with a little wave from my pinky as a way to signal a ‘hello’ to the kids. At the first break, Willie mentioned that he saw me adjusting my glasses a lot and he suggested that I go to the optician that was in the building. I told him what I was up to and he started doing the same when he knew he was on camera.’ ‘He was a good man!’” he added.
First at AGT and then Telus, Willie made his mark as a principled regulatory lawyer, Earnest, so convinced of his views he would bring world-renowned experts to testify at CRTC hearings, such as Alfred Kahn, considered the father of airline deregulation in the U.S., which led to deregulation of telecommunications, trucking and others. “At that hearing,” said Ian Scott, presently Chairman of the CRTC but at that time working for long distance upstart CallNet, “Willie had ensured Mr. Kahn signed my personal copy of The Economics of Regulation: Principles and Institutions. That was Willie. He knew I cared, and to him that book was the Bible.”
A regulatory preacher of sorts, Willie sincerely believed in the correctness of his positions. His colleagues would try to get him to learn to compromise and try to help those marketing guys achieve their goals.
Again, larger than life, his immense intellect was hard to reconcile the big bear of a man, dressed differently that stood out wherever he went.
Being a lacrosse goalie had probably a good practice for the rough and tumble of big corporate boardroom politics and the tension of regulatory hearings, but everybody mentioned the jazz trumpet player that had performed in a professional band and how thrilled when the Webtones, the Telus Band, got to open up for Colin James at Landsdowne Park at a Telus function, in Ottawa.
“We are all saddened tremendously by Willie’s death, and on behalf of the Telus team, I extend my deepest condolences to Barb, Rob, Sarah and the entire Grieve family on the loss of this extraordinary human being,” added Telus CEO Darren Entwistle. “Willie was an exceptional friend, colleague and community champion – not to mention a first class trumpet player and the iconic leader of the Webtones horn section!
“Willie was a true competitor, and his commitment to excellence was reflected in every endeavour he undertook – from the modernisation of the regulatory environment within Canada’s telecommunications sector to his prowess as a lacrosse goalie. Indeed, his incredible passion and thorough knowledge of our industry has left a unique and indelible mark within Telus and on the telecommunications landscape in Canada and beyond. Importantly, the same passion and dedication Willie invested into his work were clearly evidenced in his dedication to his community and the many causes and charitable endeavours he supported with his heart and his philanthropy over the years," added Entwistle. "Our thoughts are with the Grieve family during this difficult time. It is my sincere hope that they are able to draw some comfort from the memories of Willie’s remarkable life and the unforgettable impact he had on the many individuals whose lives he touched.”
