Journalist, administrator.
Born at Amsterdam, The Netherlands on 27 October 1940, one of three children of Hellmut Hans Fritz “Bobby” Herrndorf (1903-1979) and Anne-Marie “Mimi” Herrndorf (1916-1990), the family immigrated to Winnipeg. He attended the University of Manitoba where he was Editor of The Manitoban (1960-1961). After graduation in 1962, he studied law at Dalhousie University (1965) and received an MBA degree from the Harvard Business School (1970).
In 1965, he began a career in journalism, as a television reporter/editor for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Winnipeg. He transferred to Toronto in 1967 where he later became head of current affairs programming and Vice-President of English services (1979-1983). He was publisher of Toronto Life (1983-1992), Chairman/CEO of TVOntario (1992-1999), and President/CEO of the National Arts Centre (1999-2018).
He and wife Eva Czigler had two children. In recognition of his community service, he received honourary doctorates from the University of Winnipeg (1993) and University of Manitoba (2006), and was inducted into the Order of Canada (1993) and Order of Ontario (2007).
He died at Toronto, Ontario on 18 February 2023.
Obituary [Hellmut Hans Fritz Herrndorf], Winnipeg Free Press, 27 October 1979, page 46.
Obituary [Anne-Marie Herrndorf], Winnipeg Free Press, 17 December 1990, page 24.
“Peter Herrndorf, 'Renaissance man' of Canadian journalism and arts, dead at 82,” CBC News, 18 February 2023.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 19 February 2023
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