Longtime Financial Post editor Neville Nankivell dies at 91

OTTAWA — Neville Nankivell, seasoned journalist, editor, publisher and columnist for the Financial Post, died on May 3 at his home in Ottawa after a battle with cancer. He was 91.

For more than four decades, Nankivell helped shape the voice and character of Canadian business journalism. Colleagues remembered him not only as a sharp editor and accomplished writer, but also as a generous mentor whose calm judgment and intellectual curiosity left a lasting impression on generations of reporters and editors.

Barry Critchley, a columnist who worked for Financial Post for 35 years, recalled that Nankivell fostered a “great work environment” as he “set the direction” for the newspaper. He said one of Nankivell’s special talents as editor-in-chief and publisher was employing an “eclectic bunch” of reporters for the newsroom.

Critchley said Nankivell “hired PhDs, lawyers, economists” for the newspaper, not afraid to mix reporter with journalism experience with others who came in without it. He said Nankivell had a “knack for picking out people he thought would do a good job, and most turned out pretty well.”

Born Dec. 8, 1934, in Cottesloe, Western Australia, Nankivell excelled in academics and athletics from an early age. At Scotch College, he developed lifelong passions for rugby and surf lifesaving, eventually representing Western Australia in both sports. After studying economics at the University of Western Australia, where he edited the student newspaper The Pelican, he emigrated to Canada in 1956 aboard a freighter, beginning a new chapter that would define his professional life.

Nankivell first joined Canadian Press before moving to Toronto to complete a Master of Commerce degree at the University of Toronto. While there, he captained the university’s 1959 championship rugby team and was later inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Following graduation, he embarked on a 40-year career at the Financial Post, where he rose through the ranks to become editor-in-chief, publisher and columnist.

During a transformative era in newspaper publishing, Nankivell became known for combining rigorous business reporting with a keen understanding of newspaper design and presentation. In the 1980s, he accepted a prestigious Society of Newspaper Designers gold award on behalf of the Financial Post design team, which finished ahead of The New York Times in competition.

His career also took him abroad. In 1991, Nankivell moved to London as editor-at-large for Financial Post, based at the Financial Times, before returning to Canada to lead the Financial Post Ottawa bureau. There, he guided coverage of national politics, trade and economic policy during periods of profound change in Canada’s economy and media landscape.

Beyond journalism, Nankivell devoted time to numerous civic and cultural organizations, including theatre groups, educational advisory boards, housing initiatives and youth programs.

Friends described him as thoughtful, compassionate and endlessly curious — a man equally comfortable debating public policy, discussing literature or reminiscing about rugby.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret “Peggy” Brady, sons William and Jeff, four grandchildren, and several siblings. He was predeceased by his first wife, Joan Davidson.

Nankivell’s funeral will be at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in the Glebe, where he was a longtime parishioner, on May 30 at 10:30 a.m. Visitation will be held May 29, 5-7 p.m. at Hulse, Playfair & McGarry at 315 McLeod St. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Ottawa Humane Society would be appreciated.

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