TORONTO – Telecom lawyer Lorne Abugov used this week’s Canadian Telecom Summit to launch Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame.
While other industries have their own way to recognize their pioneers and leaders, the 160-year-old Canadian telecom industry has been lacking, says Abugov.
“The Canadian telecommunications industry has a rich heritage of achievement, invention and innovation that predates confederation,” says Abugov, the hall’s founder and senior telecom law partner with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, pointing to Canadian success stories like Alexander Graham Bell and Waterloo’s Research In Motion, makers of the Blackberry.
“There are few industries in Canada, or even the world, with so many unsung heroes and little-known success stories. In fact, the more I examined the roots of Canadian telecommunications, the more I came to realize that ours is one of the greatest Canadian stories never told,” he added.
The Hall will be comprised of two core programs: the Hall of Fame laureate program and the education and outreach program. The laureate program will be an annual gala induction ceremony and a regional hall of fame dinner where leaders and pioneers will be honoured.
The educational and outreach program will educate kids about the achievements and successes of Canadians in the telecom field. The program will also feature an endowment fund to help pay for the education of students who pursue their studies in the telecom field.
There will also be a travelling exhibit showcasing the telecom hall.
A permanent site has yet to be chosen but the inaugural ceremony will be held this October 18th, in conjunction with Toronto conference Telemanagement Live and hosted by the Coalition for Competitive Telecommunications. Eight people will be inducted.
So far, Abugov has self-funded the initiative but he’s hopeful he can get the industry heavyweights to chip in, along with government.
