1. David Osborn Braley was a Canadian businessman and politician who was the owner of three Canadian Football League teams during his lifetime: the BC Lions, Toronto Argonauts, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
22 Facts About David Braley
1. 2.
David Braley was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2010 as a Conservative, but resigned three years later stating no official reason.
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David Braley was a member of the Order of Canada and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
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David Braley began his business career with GMAC in Hamilton, before joining London Life Insurance.
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David Braley owned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1987 until 1990 when the team returned to community ownership.
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David Braley returned to the CFL with his purchase of the Lions in 1997.
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David Braley owned the Vancouver 86ers soccer club, later the Vancouver Whitecaps, of the A-League, keeping professional soccer alive from 1997 to 2000.
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David Braley announced the sale of the Argonauts to Bell Media and Larry Tanenbaum on May 20,2015, with the deal to close at the end of the year.
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David Braley served as the chair of the CFL's Board of Governors and was the CFL's interim commissioner from March 2002 to November 2002.
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David Braley was chairman of the 2003 World Cycling Championships in Hamilton.
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David Braley was a director of Ontario's successful bid to host the 2015 Pan Am Games and was a member of the board overseeing preparations for the games.
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David Braley resigned upon his appointment to the Senate, as the body's by-laws specifically bar elected officials and senators from serving on the board.
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David Braley was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
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David Braley was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2019, in recognition of his contributions to the CFL and his community.
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David Braley was appointed to the Senate of Canada on May 20,2010, to represent the province of Ontario on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper three days after Conservative Senator Wilbert Keon reached mandatory retirement age.
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In contrast to the opposition expressed by other professional sports leagues, Senator David Braley spoke out in favour of the private member's bill C-290, which went before the Senate and, if passed, would allow the provinces to license single sports betting.
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David Braley further stated that, due to his position as a sports team owner, he would abstain from voting on the bill.
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David Braley resigned from the Senate on November 30,2013, without stating a reason.
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David Braley told the Hamilton Community News in September 2013 that "There are four people who are causing the problems for the other 100 senators" and "We are being tarred and feathered" as a result.
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David Braley was hospitalized in 2016 with a foot infection related to diabetes.
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David Braley died in his sleep on October 26,2020, at his home in Burlington, Ontario.
22.
David Braley was 79, and suffered from an undisclosed long-term illness.