Stockwatch editor John Woods dies at 78
2024-10-16 19:16 ET - Street Wire
This item is part of Stockwatch's value added news feed and is only available to Stockwatch subscribers.
Here is a sample of this item:
by Mike Caswell
John Woods, former editor of Canada Stockwatch, has died at the age of 78. Mr. Woods, who began in the industry as a floor trader in the 1960s, found great entertainment in the promotions of Howe Street during the Vancouver Stock Exchange's more raucous days. He made a business of researching and reporting on the many schemes promoted on the VSE and its successors, earning himself admirers and detractors in the industry for his efforts.
"He clearly didn't like people who lied," said David Baines, a since-retired Vancouver Sun columnist who first met Mr. Woods in 1985. During a period when the mantra on Howe Street was to promote any scheme that would move a stock, Mr. Woods would make negative remarks. "I admired him for it," said Mr. Baines.
Others who knew Mr. Woods described him as being captivated by the comings and goings of Howe Street. "He was always entertained by the breadth and diversity of schemes cooked up by market-players -- from comical hucksterism to the more complex enterprises," said Adrian du Plessis, who worked with Mr. Woods on and off for 40 years. "And, fundamentally, he liked to understand the mechanics of a stock promotion or play."
The remainder is available to Stockwatch subscribers.
Sign-up for a FREE 30-day Stockwatch subscription and SEE NO ADS
© 2024 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reader Comments - Comments are open to paying subscribers of Stockwatch and unmoderated,
although libelous remarks, obscene language and impersonations may be deleted.
Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Stockwatch.
For information regarding Canadian libel law, please view the
University of Ottawa's FAQ regarding Defamation and SLAPPs.
Well, if there is justice in the afterlife, he won't be sharing Heaven with those he and his employees took to task over the decades.
Posted by halcrow at 2024-10-16 19:28
My sincerest appreciation to Woods, who was both a mentor and a friend, and deepest condolences to his family members. He and his erstwhile reporter Brent Mudry shone much light on the dark side of Howe Street. Although Woods has left us, Stockwatch remains a unique and vital source of information for anybody who has an interest in the junior market. I still review it on a regular basis.
David Baines, former Vancouver Sun securities columnist
Condolences to all family, friends, business associates and employees.
Stockwatch has been innovative, competed early with quotation services against the bigger names.
I recall the great reporting on the Lac Minerals debacle where the Toronto listed snob miner used skulldruggery and bribery for moose pasture that turned into one of the hemlo gold mines. The Toronto listed debacle exposed how easily a few dollars in an envelope in the 1980's, given to a senior ontario civil servant, to change documents could change things during a staking rush.
That one Toronto scam was worth a few billion dollars and led to delisting of Lac Minerals.
Posted by oh at 2024-10-17 12:07
Always interesting to talk to and a sharp wit have always read Stockwatch every day and still do RIP John
Posted by Sequential at 2024-10-17 12:18
John had a delightfully cynical view of the market and its players and he enjoyed skewering some of the sillier and ultrapromotional comments CEOs made in their press releases. That said, he was an invaluable instructor on how the market works -- and, more valuably, how it doesn't work. One of his best lines was, "The SEC is Canada's most effective regulator." A vintage headline of his was "CEO punished with parking ticket." Some of the staff were able to turn that cynicism and knowledge into financial gain, and for that, I will always be grateful.
Posted by Jerome Collins at 2024-10-17 13:40
A man with a storied career.....I enjoy stock watch every day with a special thank you to Mr. Woods
a great story and career thx
Posted by david at 2024-10-18 09:07
RIP John
John and I share the same birth date , Nov. 18 ( not year ) and were best friends and drinking buddies in our years on the trading floor. We spent many an evening at Sneaky Pete’s , John’s drink of choice, Drambuie. Lots of stories better kept to myself. John wisely put down the glass a few years before I followed suit. I’ll always remember him telling me that he went to the bars to put faces to the names of the promoters he often heard about. When John left trading to start Stockwatch he tasked me into buying 1 share of every listed company on the exchange. He would in turn register these shares so he would be sent all material sent out by public companies. These were mailed to a post office box . You can just imagine the volume of material, drove them crazy. This was in the early days of computers, John hired someone to input pertinent information from these materials such as participants ,which could easily be cross referenced. Thus the humble beginnings of what so many of us use daily. John and I drifted after years of annual birthday calls. Jexxy will always be in my heart as a mentor and friend.
Rest in peace buddy. Maybe many feared you but I believe deep down everyone admired you!
Pat Bocking.
Posted by Pat Bocking l at 2024-10-18 17:18