Greg Clark

Clark, Gregory

Gregory Clark, newspaperman, soldier, outdoorsman, humorist (b at Toronto 25 Sept 1892; d there 3 Feb 1977). Greg Clark attended Harbord Collegiate, followed by a year at the University of Toronto, after which he began his career with the Toronto Star. He worked for the Star from 1911 to 1947.

In WWI he went overseas with the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles and won the Military Cross as an infantry lieutenant at Vimy Ridge. He returned to the Toronto Star as a reporter and for the next 30 years he covered major news events, including the Great Haileybury Fire of 1922, the Lindbergh Kidnap Trial in 1935, the Moose River mine disaster in 1937, and the coronation of King George VI and the royal couple's 1939 tour of Canada.. He began to write humour stories for the Star's companion publication, the Toronto Star Weekly. The most popular of these featured the comic misadventures of Clark and his hunting and fishing companion, cartoonist Jimmie Frise.

The Star was well-served by the Clark family. Greg Clark's father, Joseph T. Clark, was the editor-in-chief and his son, James Murray Clark, was also a Star journalist; the younger Clark was killed serving with the Regina Rifle Regiment in 1944. Indeed, Clark is a prominent name in the field of journalism; Greg Clark was the great-uncle of well-known broadcaster Tom Clark.

During WWII Clark went overseas again, this time as a war correspondent, reporting from the UK, Sicily, Italy and France. For this he was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and awarded the Service Medal of the Order of Canada.

In 1947 Clark and Frise switched their work to the Montreal Standard, which became Weekend Magazine. After the death of Frise, Clark's stories were illustrated by Duncan MACPHERSON. Clark's zest for life was reflected in his 19 books, one of which won the Leacock Award For Humour. Greg Clark was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1968.