Minister Goodyear Marks Passing of Nobel Laureate Willard Boyle

Ottawa, May 9, 2011 — On learning of the death of Dr. Willard Boyle, the Canadian physicist who shared the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physics, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology) made the following statement:

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Willard Boyle.

"Dr. Boyle made Canada very proud when he achieved the highest international honour for his work: the Nobel Prize for Physics. It was the highest recognition of his lifelong career as a researcher and inventor. The discovery he made with a colleague, the technology at the heart of modern digital cameras, brought Dr. Boyle numerous accolades.

"Willard Boyle called different parts of this great country home. He was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia in 1924, grew up and attended university in Quebec, and taught physics in Kingston, Ontario. He spent the majority of his career at the renowned Bell Laboratories in the United States. Following his retirement in 1979, Dr. Boyle returned to Nova Scotia where he and his wife remained active in their community for many years.

"Canada will miss his passion for physics and his contributions to knowledge, both in our country and around the world."

For further information (media only), please contact:

Gary Toft
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State (Science and Technology)
613-943-7599

Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502