OTTAWA – Well known communications lawyer Chris Johnston died Tuesday at his home in Ottawa. Johnston, 75, was diagnosed with cancer in April this year.
Johnston was appointed as General Counsel of the CRTC in 1974. In 1980, he partnered with Robert Buchan and Charles Dalfen to found the Ottawa-based telecommunications law firm of Johnston & Buchan LLP. That firm merged with Fasken Martineau in April 2007. While he officially retired in 2007, Johnston remained as a consultant to Shaw Communications over the last few years. In addition to Shaw, Johnston also counted WIC, Cancom, TSN, BC Tel, Pelmorex and Rogers amongst his many clients.
Buchan, who has known Johnston for about 55 years, described him as “a fine, ethical, generous, gentleman.”
“He was a totally, totally honest guy with a wonderful sense of humour – people loved him for many reasons”, Buchan told Cartt.ca. “He’s probably the most decent person I’ve known in my life. He was a soft spoken guy, but he always kept his eye on the ball and knew how to defend the client’s interests without getting anybody upset. He wasn’t confrontation adverse, he could be quite firm, but he had a wonderful way about him… a combination of good manners, a sense of humour, and knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.”
Johnston is survived by his wife Vivian and their five children.
– Lesley Hunter