Philip Bridgman Lind was born August 20th, 1943, in Toronto, Canada to parents Susan Bridgman and Walter (Jed) Lind. He attended McGill University and later transferred to the University of British Columbia. He earned his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Economics, and then attended the University of Rochester to complete a Master’s in Political Sociology. In 1969, he began working for Rogers Communications Inc. alongside founder Ted Rogers. He continued work with Rogers for more than 50 years in various capacities, rising in the organization to become vice-chairman of the company, a position he held for over 30 years.

In 2002, Mr. Lind was awarded the Order of Canada for his career and input into Canadian culture and broadcasting. That same year, he received an LL.D, honoris causa, from the University of British Columbia. In 2012, he was inducted into the U.S. Cable Hall of Fame, only the third Canadian to be so honoured. In 1992, Mr. Lind was a founder of CPAC, the Cable Public Affairs Channel, Canada’s only privately owned, commercial-free, not-for-profit bilingual licensed television service. He has served on the CPAC board for almost 30 years. He is also a director of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Vancouver Art Gallery and Art Gallery of Ontario. He funds The Phil Lind Initiative at UBC, an annual dialogue series and course hosted by the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, as well as other cultural endeavours such as the Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize, the Phil Lind Multicultural Artist in Residence and the Phil Lind Scholarship Fund.

Phil Lind’s paternal grandfather, John Grieve (Johnny) Lind, traveled to the Yukon in 1894, two years before the gold strike and three years before the international gold rush. While there, he successfully mined for placer gold in Fortymile River, and then, in late 1896 with news of the gold-strike, travelled to Dawson City and Bonanza Creek. Together with his partners, Johnny Lind bought and sold claims and successfully mined a significant amount of gold. He returned with his fortune to St. Mary’s, Ontario, where he used the money to begin St. Mary’s Cement, which grew to become the largest independent cement company in Canada. Inspired by his grandfather’s Yukon adventure, Mr. Phil Lind began collecting materials related to the Klondike Gold Rush. He compiled the collection over 50 years, and soon became known by Canadian booksellers and dealers as a collector of Klondike items. Mr. Lind donated the comprehensive collection to the University of British Columbia Library in 2020. He passed away on August 20, 2023.