[2] Born in Timmins, Ontario, Labow was educated at the University of Toronto.

[3] His artistic endeavours during this era included performing as a folk music duo with Bram Morrison, and acting in local and regional theatre productions[4] and the 1965 student-produced film Winter Kept Us Warm.

[3] He was then one of the producers of The Offering, the second feature film by Winter Kept Us Warm director David Secter.

Following his graduation he worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, before joining the nascent TVOntario in the early 1970s as one of its founding producers.

[1] As an independent producer, he primarily concentrated on television specials for musical performers such as Anne Murray, Perry Como and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; he also worked as a casting director through his independent firm Canadian Casting Centre.