Hurtig, Mel

Melvin Hurtig, OC, publisher, political activist, author (born 24 June 1932 in Edmonton, AB; died 3 August 2016 in Vancouver, BC).

In 1956, Hurtig opened a bookstore, Hurtig Books, in Edmonton. The store soon became a centre for the literary community and grew into one of the largest retail book operations in Canada. Hurtig sold his stores in 1972 and concentrated on publishing Canadian books under the imprint Hurtig Publishers; he was twice named Canadian Book Publisher of the Year (1975, 1981). Most notably, Hurtig conceived of and published two editions of the highly acclaimed Canadian Encyclopedia (1985 and 1988) and Junior Encyclopedia of Canada(1990). He sold Hurtig Publishers to Toronto-based McClelland & Stewart in 1991.

Text from www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca