Neville Gilfoy of Progress Media Group has died

Neville Gilfoy

[This post has been updated] Neville Gilfoy, the founder, president and CEO of Progress Media Group of Halifax and publisher of Progress Magazine, died on Tuesday after a short illness. (Funeral will probably be Saturday; more when known.) [Update: see below]

Gilfoy received the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2006, the highest honour that can be bestowed by the National Magazine Awards Foundation.

Progress magazine was founded in 1993 to promote the creation of wealth in the region through profitable business growth and Gilfoy made no secret of it, indeed it was one of his passions. He developed events with the magazine group that celebrated achievement, such as the Fastest Growing Companies, Best Places to Work and the Progress 101 about the biggest and best companies in the region

Gilfoy was well known as a publisher, writer, publishing mentor and consultant and general friend of the industry, both in the Atlantic Canada and across the country. He usually pronounced himself ready when called on by Magazines Canada or other industry organizations to teach, present or talk about publishing.

He was a partner with Jim Gourlay, now co-publisher of Saltscapes Magazine, in a publication called Eastern Woods & Waters before leaving to start up Progress.

As a veteran of the industry he was a passionate advocate for the revitalization of Atlantic Canada's economy. He spoke frequently about it and wrote about it in his own and other publications. He was Chair of the Atlantic Provinces Chambers of Commerce, the Greater Halifax Partnership, the Atlantic council, and the Dartmouth General Hospital’s Capital Campaign and was awarded an honourary degree as doctor of civil law from Saint Mary's University. He was the Honourary Consul of France for Nova Scotia, where he works closely with senior officials of the French government in Canada. 

He was named a 2008 Rotary International Paul Harris fellow for his humanitarian work in West Africa where he was actively involved in building schools, wells and health clinics in Burkina Faso and Niger.

[Update: Visitation at St Peters Church, 10 Maple Street Dartmouth, from 2:00-4:00 and 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Friday, July 22. Funeral at St. Peters church as well, on Saturday, July 23 at 10 am with reception to follow in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, donations in Neville’s memory may be made to Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation. Online condolences by visiting www.dartmouthfuneralhome.ca.]

Death notice, Dartmouth Funeral Home