Biography.guide
Home › People › Engineer › Alphonse Ouimet
Portrait of Alphonse Ouimet

Alphonse Ouimet

1908 – 1988

Canadian civil servant

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Alphonse Ouimet

Lived 1908 – 1988 (aged 80). Alphonse Ouimet was a Canadian engineer, known for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Joseph-Alphonse Ouimet, (June 12, 1908 – December 20, 1988) was a Canadian television pioneer and president of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) from 1958 to 1967.

Born in Montreal, Ouimet received a degree in electrical engineering from McGill University in 1932. In 1932, he helped design, build, and demonstrate the first Canadian television set. In 1934, he joined the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, which became the CBC, and was responsible for setting up and running CBC's national radio service. He was involved in launching television broadcasting on the CBC.

After retiring from the CBC, Ouimet became, in 1969, chairman of Telesat Canada, which built and launched many of Canada's communications satellites. He retired in 1980.

In 1968, Ouimet was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Ouimet died in 1988 in the city of his birth.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Known for
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Education
McGill University
Awards
Companion of the Order of Canada; Acfas Urgel-Archambeault Award; Honorary doctorate at the Laval University; Order of Canada
Also known as
J. Alphonse Ouimet, Joseph-Alphonse Ouimet

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Alphonse Ouimet's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Alphonse Ouimet?

Canadian civil servant (1908–1988)

When was Alphonse Ouimet born?

Alphonse Ouimet was born on 12 June 1908 in Montreal.

When did Alphonse Ouimet die?

Alphonse Ouimet died on 20 December 1988 in Pointe-Claire.

What was Alphonse Ouimet's occupation?

Alphonse Ouimet was an engineer.

What was Alphonse Ouimet known for?

Alphonse Ouimet was known for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

What nationality was Alphonse Ouimet?

Alphonse Ouimet was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Alphonse Ouimet

· Wikidata: Q3184167

· DBpedia: Alphonse Ouimet

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alphonse Ouimet. https://biography.guide/alphonse-ouimet/

MLA: "Alphonse Ouimet." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alphonse-ouimet/.

Chicago: "Alphonse Ouimet." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alphonse-ouimet/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:11 UTC