CONDOLENCE MOTION

Moved by: Councillor Adam Vaughan

Seconded by: Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam

The Mayor and Members of Toronto City Council are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sam Sniderman on September 23, 2012.

Born in Toronto in 1920, Sam "The Record Man" Sniderman was the powerhouse behind Sam the Record Man, the landmark record store which thrived in downtown Toronto for four decades, until the store's closure in 2007.

Mr. Sniderman had a passion for spreading Canadian music. He began by selling records out of his brother's radio shop and opened his flagship Sam the Record Man store on Yonge Street in 1959. By the 1960s, he was selling thousands of records and had cultivated a musician's hangout.

Sometimes called the Godfather of Canadian Music, Mr. Sniderman helped kick-start the careers of many Canadian music greats, including The Guess Who, Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot. He lobbied for a stronger Canadian music scene and helped unknown Canadian musicians make their mark on music history.

Mr. Sniderman’s achievements earned him the Order of Canada in 1976. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. He also received a Governor General award and honorary doctorates from Ryerson University and the University of Prince Edward Island.

Though the Sam the Record Man store is no longer around, the impact Sam Sniderman had on Canadian music lives on. He will be remembered as a mentor to hundreds of Canadian artists and musicians and as a giant in the Canadian music industry.

The City Clerk is requested to convey, on behalf of the Members of Toronto City Council, our sincere sympathy to Sam Sniderman's family.

October 2, 2012