September 9, 2025
Thank you for publishing a link to Hudson Janisch’s Obituary.
Hudson was a legendary professor and provocative thinker in telecom and broadcast law who touched the lives and careers of many, many of us who have worked in this space.
With me, it started in his Communications Law class at Dal where gave some personal attention and a boost, arranging to publish something I had written for his class on the development of the CRTC FM Policy. Then, when I articled at the CRTC, he was on sabbatical in Ottawa, and we saw quite bit of each other. Much later I was a guest lecturer for many years in his Communications Law class when he was at U of T.
He used to take summer fishing trips to Killarney Mountain Lodge in northern Ontario and would stop off for a family lunch at our cottage on the way. We loved the stories about his boyhood in South Africa and Saint Helena and, given that island’s connection with Napoleon, my history nut father always made sure to attend.
I was honoured to speak at his U of T retirement dinner at the Rideau Club. It was quite an evening, an all hands gathering of the telecom and broadcast regulatory “clan” there to celebrate and honour his contribution to our little world.
We kind of lost touch when he moved west, but he came back to Killarney for almost six months when he and his wife Alice separated. He said he was writing, but beneath it was clear he was grieving. While he was there, Hatty and I joined him for a few days. Because he strode through the town every day like he was its mayor, the local folks began to call him that! Every once in a while, he would hitch a ride into Sudbury in the lodge’s food truck to get a haircut!
He was a larger-than-life teacher, a powerful mentor, and a wonderful friend. He was an important part of my life, and I will miss him.
Doug Barrett, Adjunct Professor, Schulich School of Business
MediaPolicy.ca 