- John Lovelace
John Lovelace was born in Sherbrooke Quebec, the son of a United Church minister. He was raised in the eastern Townships, attending Lennoxville High School and Bishop's University. In the summers, John worked on the waterfront at the exclusive Camp Arrowhead on Lake Memphremagog, Quebec. In 1969 he began work in the realestate business with Bramalea Developments in their new Computer operations and became one of the first computer systems managers in Canada.
In 1972, he moved to Eastern Ontario with his new bride Nancy, to join Dacon construction where he was promoted to Vice President. In 1979 John founded the Kinalea Group of companies and the "Johns Do It" stores and over the next 12 years built a business empire that would eventually employ 300 people. Over this thirty year span John managed the design, engineering, financing, and marketing of single family and semi-detached housing units in Toronto, Ottawa and southeastern Ontario totalling close to 10,000 housing units. During this period he hired and trained a corporate paralegal department which handled all offers to purchase, mortgage financing and mortgage assumptions, surveys, and land titles .He worked with engineers and architects in the design of communities from raw land to totally serviced subdivisions which included pioneering designs on energy efficient homes with Federal and Utility Grants.
During the 1992 recession, health problems would dramatically curtail his business interests. Two years later he flew his Cessna Amphibian to Vancouver to adopt a new more relaxed lifestyle. As part of his relaxation therapy he would fly his float plane up and down the BC coast, falling in love with the province. Soon after, his wife and family moved out to join him and he has remained in Richmond BC, and in good health, ever since.
In 1997, John decided to take a sabbatical from construction and real estate development. On the back of an envelope on a flight from Toronto to Vancouver he sketched out the idea of a new TV series. Within months "Wings Over Canada TV" was born and which would ultimately become a 10 year Odyssey producing 174 episodes making it the longest running aviation series in North America. In the process the company he founded to produce the series, ATV Ltd, became one of the leading independent production companies in Western Canada. John eventually sold ATV Ltd. and stepped down from the series and in early 2008 returned to his real estate interests.
Today John is the President and CEO of his holding company John Lovelace Corporation. He is a licensed realtor, a licensed mortgage broker and he is associated with Landquest Realty, The Paragon Verico Mortgage Group, and is a consultant with The Niho group. He specializes in large realestate transactions and multimedia TV.
Aviation connection
John first climbed into an airplane in 1971 and started his pilot training with the Brampton Flying Club. Since 1979 John has owned a succession of 5 airplanes and today flys his own twin Navajo that he uses for business in western Canada. With close to 200 flying shows, John has become one of the most recognized pilots in Canada. The Wings series is still in syndication on over 50 broadcasters in the USA, Europe and Australia and he is also writing columns for several aviation magazines.
Awards
For the past thirty years John Has sat on several non-profit community service organizations for hospitals, the Rotary Club, flying clubs and environmental groups . He is the recipient of several awards including a National marketing award from HUDAC association of Canada, the Business Man of the Year award in Kingston and the President's Award from The Canadian Owners and Pilots association.
John is married to Nancy, his wife of 39 years, and they reside in Richmond BC .They have two grown children, David and Mary.
TV & Production Credits
The Golf Buddies Season #1 [13x30 ] Associate Producer 1999 A Channel/ Chum TV
The Golf Buddies Season #2 [13x30] Associate Producer 2000 A Channel/ Chum TV
The Golf Buddies Season #3 [13x30 ] Associate Producer 2001 A Channel/ Chum TVGood Time Golf Season #1 [13x30 ] Senior Producer Writer & Field Producer 2002 PBS
Good Time Golf Season #2 [13x30] Senior Producer Writer & Field Producer 2003 PBSWings Over Canada Season #1 [13x30 ] Created/Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 1999
Wings Over Canada Season #2 [15x30] Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 2000
Wings Over Canada Season #3 [20x30] Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 2001
Wings Over Canada Season #4 [20x30] Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 2002
Wings Over Canada Season #5 [13x30] Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 2003
Wings Over Canada Season #6 [13x30] Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 2004
Wings Over Canada Season #7 [20x30] Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 2005
Wings Over Canada Season #8 [26x30] Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 2006
Wings Over Canada Season #9 [20x30] Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 2007
Wings Over Canada Season#10 [20x30] Senior Producer /Writer /Field Producer/ Host 2008Wings Syndication - MenTV, Rogers TV,Shaw Tv CBC Country Canada TV,PBS Syndication, Canadian Learning Television, SCN
Chow Time Pilot Episode Writer/Senior Producer 2004 CLT
Discovering Great Towns Season #1 [12x30] Writer/Senior Producer 2005 PBS
The New Driver's Seat Season #11 [13x30] Senior Producer 2005 Chum TV / City TV
The New Driver's Seat Season #12 [26x30] Senior Producer 2006 Chum TV / City TV
The New Driver's Seat Season #13 [26x30] Senior Producer 2007 Chum TV / City TV
The New Driver's Seat Season #14 [18x30] Senior Producer 2008 Chum TV / City TVTarga Newfoundland [1X60] 2007 Global TV / Speed TV
Targa Newfoundland [1X60] 2008 Global TV / Speed TVCanadian Rally Championship Season # 1 [13x30] Created/Senior Producer 2007 Chum TV/City TV
Canadian Rally Championship Season # 2 [13x30] Created/Senior Producer 2008 Chum TV/City TVEves Christmas Movie Principal 2005
South Asian Focus Season # 1 [13x60] Created/Senior Producer 2005
Canadian Biography Moments [5x60] Created/Senior Producer 2005
Air Canada Story [1x60] Senior Producer /Writer/host 2006
The One in a Million Shot [1x60] Senior Producer /Writer 2007
Raid the North Extreme [1x60] Senior Producer /Writer 2008
The Last Flight of Steve Fosset [1x60] Senior Producer /Writer 2008
Wings Over America Pilot [1x30] Created /Senior Producer /Field Producer/ host 2008
Productions in Development
Between July 17, and July 26, 2009 the production team will embark on a 10 day journey across Canada.
The occasion is the 100th anniversary of the first flight in Canada of the Silver Dart in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. In honour of this historic celebration, John Lovelace, the recipient of the 2008 COPA President’s Award, aviation journalist and creator of “Wings Over Canada” is inviting aviators to join him on a historic 10 day cross country flight. The flight will leave in July 2009 from the shores of the Pacific Ocean at Boundary Bay Airport, fly to COPA convention in Calgary, and conclude 10 days later at the site of Alexander Bell's historic flight at Baddeck, Nova Scotia. Participants have the option to make the entire flight or to join up in any one of the 8 cities along the way.
The goal is to arrive in Nova Scotia with aircraft representing a cross-section of aviation in Canada today. All aircraft, from ultralights, to light singles and twins to high performance military aircraft are invited to join in the celebration.
Aviators and aviation enthusiasts from every province and territory are invited to join the party. Along the way we will be picking up aviation artifacts covering 100 years of flight from each region of Canada to present to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck, Nova Scotia at the conclusion of the flight.
The flight is intended to be a 10 day festivity where pilots and enthusiasts will share in new and old friendships set to the backdrop of our passion for aviation. The celebration will move cross-canada from opening ceremonies at Boundary Bay to closing ceremonies in Nova Scotia.
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