Biography

Philip Christopher Ondaatje, the eldest son of Philip Mervyn and Enid Doris Gratiaen, was born in Kandy, Ceylon on February 22, 1933. As a child, he moved to England where he was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton. In 1956, he emigrated to Canada.

Coming from a family noted for its literary achievements, once Ondaatje "retired" from the corporate world, he broke new ground as a respected writer of thought-provoking books dealing with significant political, historical and geographical events.

He was president of Pagurian Press Ltd., in Toronto, in 1967, when he successfully combined his astute financial powers and his love of literature. Pagurian Press Ltd., starting with a humble base of $3,000, eventually became the Pagurian Corporation Ltd., and was subsequently sold 20 years later (in 1988) to the Toronto Bronfman family. By then, assets of The Pagurian Corporation exceeded $500 million and the company controlled assets of over $1 billion. Ondaatje was also a founding partner in Loewen, Ondaatje, McCutcheon & Co. Ltd., in Toronto, from 1970 to 1988. Although he re-purchased control of Loewen, Ondaatje, McCutcheon & Co. Ltd., in 1992, Ondaatje officially retired from the world of finance in 1995, when he sold control of the company. Since then, he has devoted his time to travelling, writing and administering The Ondaatje Foundation

Associations and Memberships

Ondaatje was a member of the Canadian Olympic Bobsled team in 1964. He has maintained his interest in sports. He is a member of the Chester Yacht Club of Nova Scotia and the Toronto Golf Club. He is a life member and Patron of the Somerset County Cricket Club, England.

Christopher Ondaatje has fostered the development of learning and international understanding through The Ondaatje Foundation. He is a member of the Traveller's Club, London, England and a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society, England.  He is on the Advisory Board of Pearson College, Canada; Advisory Board Member of Lakefield College School in Canada; Governor of Blundell's School in England; as well as being an Honorary Governor of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. In addition, he is Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, on the Advisory Board of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, and a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery

Christopher Ondaatje has written seven books with an eighth to be published in October 2003. He was named an Officer, Order of Canada in 1993 and has received three LL.Ds., honoris causa, one from Dalhouise University in 1994, the second from the University of Buckingham in 2003, and the third from Exeter University in 2003.  He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen's birthday honours list, June 2000, and recently awarded a Knighthood in the Queen's honours list, June 2003.