Denham Jolly

Brandeis Denham Jolly, OD,, LL.D (born August 26, 1935) is a Jamaican Canadian businessman, publisher, broadcaster, human rights activist, philanthropist and author of In the Black: My Life. He was the President and CEO of Milestone Communications.

Jolly was born in Green Island, Jamaica, and attended Cornwall College.

He studied at the University of Guelph, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia and McGill University, Montreal where he graduated in 1960 with a degree in science.

Jolly returned to Jamaica after graduation and worked at Nutrition Research for the government of Jamaica.

He moved to Canada in 1962 and engaged in Air Pollution Research for Metropolitan Toronto.

After studying Education and obtaining a teaching certificate, Jolly taught Chemistry and Physics at Forest Hill Collegiate in Toronto, 1963-1968.

Jolly entered the business world by buying a rooming house on the University of Toronto Campus and in 1968 started Donsview Nursing Home in Toronto.

He went on to build a Day's Inn Hotel in Mississauga, Ontario and also acquired a nursing home in Dallas, Texas.

He owned and operated for over 40 years a 210 bed nursing and retirement home facility, Tyndall Nursing Home and Estates on a 2.5 acre property in Mississauga.

At one time Jolly owned, two medical laboratories in Toronto, Ed-Beck Pharmaceuticals and Standard Medical Diagnostics.

In 1982 Jolly bought and published the community newspaper Contrast.

That year he also founded and led the Black Business and Professional Association and the Harry Jerome Awards.

He was also active in the civil rights organizations and spoke out on social justice issues as a member of the Black Action Defence Committee and was a founding member of the Committee for Due Process.

Jolly launched Canada's first Black-owned radio station FLOW 93.5 CFXJ-FM through Milestone Communications.

The fight to get the license took a dozen years and his struggle was featured in the Washington Post and the Toronto Star as an example of racial barriers in Canada.

The license was finally awarded in June 2000.

It was supported by both the Toronto Star and the Toronto Sun, which ran an editorial saying that "At long last the dinosaurs at the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission have admitted Toronto needs a black-owned urban format station on the FM dial."

FLOW 93.5 went on air in February 2001 and was the first mainstream radio station to introduce hip-hop to Canada and the first to play Drake, and played and actively promoted Canada's Black musicians.

It aired as a mixture of talk and music, including O.T.A. (On the Air) Live!, a weekly interview program with hip hop artists.

FLOW 93.5 devoted airtime to black-oriented music and provided opportunities, at the highest level for many Black Canadians in the broadcasting industry.

Many world class Artists like Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Damian Marley, Rihanna and Drake found it imperative to visit the FLOW Studios in Toronto, even Sir. Richard Branson personally visited to launch his Virgin Mobile communications.

In 2005 FLOW won the Station of the Year Award in the Contemporary Hit Radio category at the Canadian Music Week Industry Awards.

That year Jolly invested in a radio station in Edmonton, called The Bounce 91.7FM CHBN-FM.

Jolly was on the boards of the YMCA, Surrey Place and the world renowned Toronto International Film Festival, and currently serves on the board for the CaribbeanTales Media Group, a film production company based in Toronto.

He has won awards for his cultural contributions including the Black Media Pioneer Award.

the African Canadian Lifetime Achievement Award and the Canadian Urban Institute's City Soul Award in 2006.

In 2007 he was presented with a Black History Award from the Markham African Caribbean Association.

Jolly sold his radio holdings in 2011 for $27 million.

He then invested US$750,000 in a real estate development project in Barbados.

In Green Island, Hanover, Jamaica he developed 200 acres of beachfront and sold to Princess

Hotels of Spain for their 2,000 room hotel, opening 2022.

Jolly's media appearances and interviews include programs: The Agenda with TVO's Steve Paikin,

CBC Radio Q with Tom Powers, CTV's Pop Life and more.

Throughout Jolly's career he has been a keynote, motivational and guest speaker on many

occasions.

Jolly has spoken at: The National Word on the Street Book Festival in Toronto and at CBC Tent Halifax Festival and many libraries, schools and organizations in Toronto.

Jolly has

reviewed his book for the Inmates Book Club Collins Bay Medium Security Penitentiary in Kingston,

ON.

Jolly's Philanthropic endeavors have included: