Industry veteran Peter Mortimer died on Saturday at his Toronto home. He was 72 and passed peacefully, after a battle with cancer, surrounded by his wife Maria Topalovich and their two children, Sasha Bridger and Catherine Mortimer.

Mortimer spent his career working to improve the Canadian film and television industry, bringing his experience as a producer from his native United Kingdom in 1972.

In 1982 and ’83, he worked with the federal government and then-communications minister Francis Fox on a national film policy white paper that served as an impetus to the establishment of Telefilm Canada. He later joined the newly formed Foundation to Underwrite New Drama and also went on to be the EVP of the former Association of Film and Television Producers, predecessor to the CFTPA where he would later be director of government relations.

In 1991, Mortimer joined the board of the Maclean Hunter Television Fund (which became the Independent Production Fund) and later became its president. He also served on the boards of the Cogeco Development Fund and the IPF. He was then director of government relations at the CFTPA before resigning earlier this year due to illness.

The funeral will be held on Saturday in Toronto. Memorial donations can go to the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation — at www.pmhf.ca or (416) 946-6560.