David Braley

David Osborn Braley (31 May 1941 – 26 October 2020) was a Canadian businessman and politician who was the owner of the BC Lions and previously owner of the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2010 as a Conservative, but resigned three years later stating no official reason. He was a member of the Order of Canada and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Early life Braley was born in Montreal and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, where he attended McMaster University. Braley began his business career with GMAC (now Ally Financial) in Hamilton, before joining London Life Insurance. In 1969, he purchased William Orlick Limited (now Orlick Industries Limited), a leading auto parts manufacturer based in Stoney Creek, Ontario and remained its owner and president. He lived in Burlington, Ontario. Sports career Braley owned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1987 until 1990 when the team returned to community ownership. He returned to the CFL with his purchase of the Lions in 1997. He also owned the Vancouver 86ers soccer club, later the Vancouver Whitecaps, of the A-League, keeping professional soccer alive from 1997 to 2000. In early 2010, he also became owner of the Argonauts, becoming the only person to own two CFL teams simultaneously. In an effort to minimize the ensuing controversy, the league scheduled games between the Lions and Argonauts early in the season in order to avoid possible playoff implications. He 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. 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. He was also chairman of the 2003 World Cycling Championships in Hamilton.