CKVR pioneer Jack Mattenley laid to rest

A community said goodbye to Jack Mattenley on Saturday and remembered the man who helped bring television to Barrie.

After his discharge from the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1945, Mattenley worked as an engineer at CKBB radio in Barrie. In 1955, he helped establish CKVR television with Ralph and Valerie Snelgrove.

Mattenley was instrumental in finding the land to build the station on and personally helped pick out the equipment to run it. He later served as general manager and vice president of the station for more than 35 years.

“TV and radio were very important to him,” says Christian Mattenley, Jack’s grandson. “It was a huge part of his life.”

Many in the Barrie community knew Mattenley as a television pioneer, but in 1991 when he left television he never left the Barrie community.

“He loved his community, he belonged to many group,” says Lynn Garraway. “He was a just a fantastic man; he was just Jack.”

“He was a role model. He would often say ‘to paddle your own canoe’ is a phrase he would often use with us,” Christian says.

Mattenley served on the board of Royal Victoria Hospital, the public school board and was active in campaigns that supported the local YMCA and Burton Road United Church.

“There were many other layers and as a time goes on and we look back those layers will start to take shape and take meaning,” Christian says. “I’m going to miss him dearly.”