Michael and Jonathan Goldbloom trace their family’s Montreal history

The Goldbloom brothers share a passion for Montreal, a city they call home and where they proudly trace their family’s arrival in the early 1880s.

By any measurement, Jonathan and Michael Goldbloom are immensely successful in their respective careers. Michael worked as a successful attorney, President of Alliance Quebec and has served as Publisher of The Gazette and the Toronto Star before a fifteen-year run as President of Bishops University. He now serves as Chair on CBC/Radio Canada.

Jonathan has enjoyed an immensely successful career in the public relations business, and his business acumen has been sought by leading Montreal businesses, foundations and VIA Rail Canada where he is a Board Member. Jonathan serves as the Chair of what is arguably our country’s most important organization – Hockey Canada.

Michael and Jonathan with the late Guy Lafleur at a Cedars Cancer fundraiser event

In a recent conversation, Jonathan noted; “Hockey is a quintessentially Canadian sport that unifies this country, from the community rinks to the international competitions of the Olympics to the World Juniors Tournament. Families travel together so that their sons and now daughters can compete against teams in the next town or tournaments. It certainly is a game that ties our country together.”

Michael adds; “At a time when so much advertising revenue is being siphoned off to internet platforms and thereby weakening the balance sheets of television and radio broadcasters; its important for the Canadian public to have a television and radio public broadcaster like CBC and Radio Canada. Those organizations can still provide balanced and informative news reports, in addition to original programing that provides work for our writers, actors, film crews and production houses.”

That said, they are most proud of their family’s contribution to Montreal through the generations since their great grandparents arrived from Lithuania in the early 1880s. As fourth generation Montrealers who for the most part have lived in downtown Montreal, they can trace their family’s history by a walking tour of central Montreal.

Michael states: “Our great grandparents emigrated from Lithuania in the 1880s, and they lived on St. Antoine near where the Bell Centre is now located. Our great grandfather worked as a peddler, buying and reselling goods.” Continuing, Micael adds; “There is a Greystone building on Sherbrooke, just opposite McGill’s Roddick Gates. That was the home and clinic of Dr. Molson. Our grandfather was just a boy and was seriously ill. Dr. Molson stayed up all night with our great grandparents in their home to make sure that the worst of the illness had passed. That kindness inspired our grandfather to decide that he wanted to become a doctor.”

“Somehow, Grandfather Alton was able to attend medical school, where he specialized in pediatric medicine.”

Our Goldblloom Family Walking Tour now moves to Crescent Street

“Grandfather Alton became the first doctor in Montreal to specialize in pediatrics. He purchased a three-storey greystone on Crescent Street, just below Sherbrooke. The family’s living quarters were on the top two storeys and Grandfather Alton Goldbloom’s clinic and practice was on the main floor.” That building now houses the luxury jewelry store, Kaufmann de Suisse.

Canadiens Old-timers Guy Lafleur, Yvon Cournoyer, Michael Goldbloom (with his Bishops hockey sweater), Jonathan Goldbloom and Canadiens alumni Serge Savard

Jonathan and Michael’s maternal grandmother, Annie Ballon and her family lived on Bishop St. between de Maisonneuve and Sherbrook. “Our maternal grandmother’s father did very well in the scrap metal business…another Montreal success story.”

Michael and Jonathan’s father, Dr. Victor Goldbloom enjoyed success in several fields; as a pediatrician, an elected member of the Quebec National Assembly, and as Commissioner of Official Languages. He was one of the first Jews to be accepted into McGill University’s medical school. Continuing the Goldbloom family walking tour, Dr. Goldbloom maintained his pediatric practice in the Medical Arts Building at the corner of Guy and Sherbrooke.

The Goldbloom family has a history of community service. Both Sheila and Dr. Victor Goldbloom received the Order of Canada in recognition of their community service.  Michael and Jonathan have continued that family tradition.

The October Crisis

During the tumultuous time when members of the FLQ kidnapped British diplomat James Cross and Quebec Cabinet Minister Pierre Laporte, Dr, Goldbloom was serving as an elected member of the National Assembly and a Cabinet Minister. He was the first Jew to serve as a Quebec Cabinet Minister. Jonathan recounts: “I was attending Selywn House, as my brother and father had done before me. My brother and sister were already attending Harvard, and I was living at home.”

“Our Dad came home and announced that my mother and I had to leave right away. At that time, no one knew what the extent of the FLQ insurrection was. They had created the impression that a revolution was imminent. My mother had family in New York and wanted to go there. We packed our bags and left our home in Montreal. There were no seats available on direct flights from Montreal to New York, and so we flew to Toronto and then we were able to fly from Toronto to New York.”

Jonathan continues; “I noticed that two men were the only people who were on the Montreal – Toronto flight and also the Toronto – New York flight. It turned that they were our security detail.” In a sad twist of fate, Dr. Goldbloom’s friend and fellow Cabinet Minister Pierre Laporte was murdered by his kidnappers.

Jonathan states, “I never went back to Selywn House. I transferred to a prep school in Boston.”

Jonathan recounts a humorous anecdote about his enrolment in prep school.  “I stayed with Michael in his room at Harvard, where Michael and our sister were already studying. Our mother had asked Michael to talk to me about the use of drugs. His advice was … ‘Its ok to smoke marijuana, but not the night before an exam!’ If Sheila only knew… Notwithstanding his older brother’s advice, Jonathan eventually graduated from Harvard, one of the world’s most prestigious universities and enjoys a successful career in the Public Relations and corporate consulting business.

Michael Goldbloom: Lawyer, Newspaper Publisher and Bishop’s University Principal

After graduating from Harvard, Michael  Goldbloom graduated from McGill’s prestigious law school. From 1981 to 1991 he worked at Martineau Walker (now Fasken). He served as a volunteer President of Alliance Quebec from 1985 to 1987, and was succeeded by Royal Orr. He was president and CEO of the Montreal YMCA from 1991 to 1994.

During his summers while attending law school, Michael wrote a column for The Gazette, providing a synopsis of what was being reported in the French press. “I continued all through law school; so I had some experience in the newspaper business. While still employed at the YMCA, the executive recruiter Alex Patterson called to talk about the Publisher’s position at The Gazette,  asking if Jonathan would be interested. He jumped at the opportunity and was appointed Publisher of The Montreal Gazette.

Michael’s newspaper career continued when he accepted the position of Deputy Publisher and VP at The Toronto Star, Canada’s largest newspaper in 2003. He was appointed Publisher in 2004 and served in that position until 2006. Michael worked at McGill during 2007, before accepting the position of Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Bishop’s University. Initially a five year term, Michael served at Bishop’s for fifteen years, until 2023.

Michael is currently the Chair of CBC/Radio Canada, and believes that with media fragmentation, having a national television and radio network is an important source of unbiased news reporting.

Jonathan Goldbloom: Public Relations Specialist, business consultant, Chair of Hockey Canada VIA Rail Board Member

Jonathan Goldbloom has enjoyed a successful career in the Public Relations industry. His business acumen is greatly sought after, and has earned him a position on the Board of Directors of VIA Rail Canada. He currently serves as the Chair of Hockey Canada, a position close to his heart because at aged 69, he still plays hockey on a weekly basis. “Hockey plays a unifying role in our country. Players and their families travel to adjacent communities and further afield for tournaments. Our game is enjoying tremendous success in welcoming girls and young women to our sport.”

Continuing, Jonathan notes; “We currently have 108,000 girls and young women playing organized hockey, and we’re projected 170,000 participants in the near term. We’re organizing five women’s tournaments in the next five years. With a successful professional league, girls are being attracted to hockey in increasing numbers.”

As our conversation concludes, Michael and Jonathan Goldbloom reflect on their family’s Montreal history. “Our family history is one of building bridges between our two main linguistic groups; of opening doors to our respective communities. We’re now six generations of Goldblooms living in and around downtown Montreal.”