Albert Cohen is the Chairman, President, and CEO of General Distributors (Gendis Inc.). In addition to his business success, Cohen has contributed significantly to the Winnipeg community through his work with the Winnipeg Clinic Research Institute, the Thorlakson Research Foundation, the Metric Commission and the University of Manitoba.

A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Cohen was born in 1914. He began developing his knack for sales at a young age, selling newspapers as a boy and shoes at the age of 15. His family was hit hard by the Depression, and upon completing grade nine Albert went into business with his father in order to contribute to the family’s income. As travelling salesmen, father and son sold pens and chocolate throughout Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. When the family moved to Calgary, Albert began to resell imported goods from the family garage. In 1939 he established his own import business, General Distributors Company. Importing small merchandise such as Swiss Army Watches, the company did quite well for itself.

Cohen served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1942 to 1945. In 1947, he moved into direct sales with Surplus Army/Air Force/Navy outlets, founding SAAN Stores Ltd. An exclusive deal to market the Paper-Mate pen brought national success in 1952. With time, the chain grew to include over 200 stores across the country.

In 1955, Albert was in Tokyo when he saw a new radio – the transistor. “Opportunity was knocking,” he said later, recalling the moment. He formed a partnership with TTK Limited, the original Sony Corporation, to bring the radio and the Sony connection to Canada. Twenty years later he headed negotiations between General Distributors and Sony as they jointly formed Sony of Canada.

Cohen was recognized with the first Distinguished Entrepreneur Award, established in 1983 by the University of Manitoba, its Faculty of Management, and the Associates of the Faculty of Management. He later served as the chair of the nominating committee and was responsible for expanding the scope of the award. The International Distinguished Entrepreneur Award (IDEA) now recognizes entrepreneurs worldwide, and is presented once a year.

Albert Cohen’s many accomplishments were acknowledged with an appointment to the Order of Canada in 1983. He was elevated from a Member of the Order to an Officer of the Order in 1994. His commitment to arts, health and community continues to inspire the new generation.

David Race served as longtime President and Chief Executive Officer of CAE Inc., a world leader in commercial, military and manned space-flight simulation and training systems.

Born in England and educated in Canada, David Race entered McGill University on an engineering scholarship. His career with Canadian Aviation Electronics began in 1951, when he was employed as Supervisor for the installation of air navigation systems in the Arctic. David was 24 when CAE built its first simulators for the CF-100 and the U.S. F-104 fighter jet. That success enabled rapid expansion of CAE in Canada and provided the opportunity for CAE to enter the European markets.

By 1969, David was President of CAE Aircraft in Winnipeg. His vision and leadership have been instrumental in CAE’s growth, diversity and financial success. At 48, David became Corporate Vice President of Operations; eight years later, he became CAE’s President and Chief Executive Officer, a position he held until 1993.

David Race steered CAE Inc. into the purchase of the U.S. based Singer-Link company, and the combined CAE-Link became a global leader in the military and space simulation markets. A man with great vision himself, David has claimed that “vision is the driving force behind new product development.”

Under his leadership, CAE became a leader in air craft overhaul and repair, a supplier of products and services to the railway and forest industries and gained a leading position in the development of simulators that will train health care workers.

Mr. Race has served on many different boards including Bank of Nova Scotia, Falconbridge Limited and Xstrata Canada Corporation, and is Chairman Emeritus of CAE Inc.

Frank Griffiths, founder and Chairman of Western International Communications Limited (WIC).

Frank began his career as an accountant and was forty before he entered broadcasting. WIC began in 1956 with the purchase of AM radio station CKNW in New Westminster, B.C. Added shortly thereafter were two stations in Winnipeg. A major move into television came with the purchase of two stations including the flagship station of the BCTV network, CHAN-TV.

By the end of the 1980’s Frank had successfully assembled Canada’s largest publicly traded broadcasting company. His interests included television, radio, Superchannel, the Family Channel, and pay-per-view services. He was personally involved in bringing the first televised fund raiser to British Columbia. Griffiths became a pioneer in the field of satellite broadcast signal delivery when WIC founded CANCOM, Canadian Satellite Communications Inc.

In the mid-seventies his company purchased the Vancouver Canucks Hockey Club. An active and dedicated participant in the NHL, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.

Frank was a driving force in Canadian broadcasting for more than three decades. His success was attributed to his ability to allow people to participate. He was fond of saying, “Nobody works for me, people work with me.”

Ted Rogers was the founder and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc, a company that began as just one FM radio station and eventually became Canada’s largest wireless, cable and media company. He was also the owner of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.

Ted received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, and was articling as a law student in 1960 when he borrowed money to buy the Toronto radio station CHFI-FM, the only FM station in Canada at the time. Ted was 33 years old. Upon graduating from Osgoode Hall, Ted chose to follow in his father’s footsteps rather than practice law. Ted Rogers Sr. had invented the radio tube and founded a well-known AM radio station, CFRB.

Ted sensed that the rapid evolution of electronic communication would revolutionize the current understanding of commerce and recreation. He became adept at linking the latest technology with consumer demand for new services, and his decision to invest in high-speed internet marked a turning point for the company. Paul Godfrey, president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays for eight years, has remarked that Ted “seemed to always be one or two steps ahead of anyone else.” The 1994 acquisition of publishing giant Maclean Hunter moved Rogers into a variety of publishing, printing and communication service companies.

An active participant in the community, his belief in youth was demonstrated by his establishment of the Rogers Communication Centre at Ryerson University. In addition, the University’s Faculty of Business was renamed the Ted Rogers School of Management in 2007, upon receiving a donation of $15 million from Ted and his wife Loretta.

In 1991, Ted was named an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2006 he was inducted into Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame.

Ted Rogers passed away in December of 2008, remaining CEO of his company up until his death. Rogers Communications remains one of Canada’s foremost cable television companies, the owner of a string of radio stations, video rental stores, The Canadian Home Shopping Network and YTV.

William Neilson, a millwright of modest birth, was founder and President of the William Neilson company.

William was almost fifty when he began producing the products that would make his fortune – ice cream and chocolate. Driven by boundless courage and optimism, William failed many times in his attempt to earn a living. In 1891 he was barely supporting his family through door to door sales of milk produced by the family cows.

One day William happened upon three worn out cream makers. Fascinated with machinery he bought and repaired the equipment that brought his fame. With surplus cream from the milk business, customers tasted the first Neilson’s ice cream in 1893.

William added chocolate confections to his line of products to provide year round employment for his ice cream workers. By the 1920’s William’s company had become the largest manufacturer of ice cream in the British Empire and a world leader in chocolate products. Milk sales became a secondary business.

After William’s death his son Morden ran the company. He was first to introduce automatic wrapping machines and fast freezing systems to the industry. In 1947 the company was purchased by George Weston Limited and continues as two separate companies, Neilson Dairy and Neilson Cadbury.

G. Wallace McCain is a Canadian businessman and co-founder, along with his brothers Andrew, Robert and Harrison, of McCain Foods Limited.

Born in Florenceville, New Brunswick in 1930, Wallace was the 5th son of the family.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Allison University in 1951, following which he worked for Irving Oil, along with his brother Harrison.

Wallace and his brother Harrison founded one of the first factories to process potatoes, turning them into pre-fried frozen french fries. With the benefit of ensured quality and the ability to export long distances with a value added product, the business started growing. With Harrison’s personal and business skills backed by Wallace’s financial savvy, the business eventually grew to over 55 factories worldwide, and became the number one french fry company in the world.

Mr. McCain was appointed Chairman of the Board of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. following the acquisition of the Company in April 1995. In his current position as Chairman of the Board, Mr. McCain is also director of other associated companies within Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

In 1995, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for being “one of Atlantic Canada’s most notable entrepreneurs”. In 2008, he was promoted to a Companion of the Order of Canada. He was inducted into the New Brunswick Business Hall of Fame in 1997, and in 2003 was awarded the Order of New Brunswick. In 2003 he was also the Canadian International Executive of the Year, and was inducted into the Canadian Manufacturing Hall of Fame in 2006.

He has received honorary degrees from Mount Allison University, the University of King’s College and the University of New Brunswick.

He married Margaret McCain, who became the first woman Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.

Senator for Saugeen, Ontario

George A. Cox was born in 1840 in Colborne, Upper Canada. He was an outstanding businessman as well as an active member of his community, and sat on the Canadian Senate for over 17 years.

Cox first made a name for himself as a telegraph operator for the Montreal Telegraph Company, becoming their agent in Peterborough, Ontario. He became an agent for the Canada Life Assurance Company in 1861, and by the late 1880’s his eastern Ontario branch was doing almost half of the company’s business. Cox went on to serve 7 years as mayor of Peterborough, also accumulating significant real estate in the area. In 1878 Cox became president of the Midland Railway of Canada, and in 1884 he founded the Central Canada Loan and Savings Company.

Moving to Toronto in 1888, Cox became president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce two years later. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1896 by Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Always the insurance salesman, it has been said that when he first went to Ottawa as a senator he succeeded in insuring every eligible senator in the chamber before the session concluded.

At the turn of the new century, Cox controlled a number of important Canadian companies in the insurance and finance sectors and was one of the few Canadian millionaires of his time. A skilled salesman, he continued to experience great success in the insurance business and eventually became president and general manager of Canada Life Assurance in 1900. In addition to his business success, Cox was a member of the Executive Committee of the Victorian Order of Nurses, a founding member of the Canadian Red Cross, and an active member of the Methodist Church.

George A. Cox passed away in 1914 and was buried in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto.

Harrison McCain was a Canadian businessman and co-founder, along with his brothers Andrew, Robert and Wallace, of McCain Foods Limited.

Born in 1927 in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Harrison was the 4th son of the family. His father was a well respected seed potato farmer, and since 1900, the family had sold seed potatoes throughout New Brunswick, and exported to Cuba and Latin America.

After graduating college, Harrison and his brother Wallace worked for Irving Oil. Harrison and Wallace then founded one of the first factories to process potatoes, turning them into pre-fried frozen french fries. With the benefit of ensured quality and the ability to export long distances with a value added product, the business started growing. With Harrison’s personal and business skills backed by Wallace’s financial savvy, the business eventually grew to over 55 factories worldwide, and became the number one french fry company in the world.

Harrison McCain was a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Nova Scotia and a close personal friend of the bank’s chairman Cedric Ritchie, who grew up in the neighboring community of Upper Kent.

In 1992 Harrison was named a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Mr. McCain was married to Marion “Billie” McCain, daughter of the former premier of New Brunswick John McNair. Harrison and Marion had five children.

Dr. Irving K. Barber was born in Edmonton, Alberta in 1923. He first came to the University of British Columbia in 1945, and would later play a significant role in the development of the university, the province’s forest industry, and various philanthropic pursuits. Graduating from the university in 1950 with a B.Sc. in forestry, Barber qualified as a Professional Registered Forester in 1952.

He started Slocan Forest Products Ltd. in 1978, and under his lead Slocan grew to become one of the dominant forest products companies in Canada. Barber was named the Distinguished Forester of the Year by the Registered Professional Foresters Association in 1999. He was also awarded the Forest Excellence Award in Communications in 1995, in recognition of his popular book, “The Working Forest.”

Barber has made outstanding contributions to the forest industry throughout his career. The Order of Canada, of which he is an Officer, has praised him for his “innovative approaches to harvesting and reforestation” and has named him a “leader in sustainable forest management.” Barber is also largely responsible for keeping the British Columbia forest industry competitive in the global market.

Barber retired as chairman of Slocan in 2002, but continues to support the people of British Columbia with generous philanthropic donations. In 1999, he gifted $500,000 to the University of Northern BC to establish an Enhanced Forest Laboratory. In 2001, he donated $2.5 million to the University of British Columbia to establish the Irving K. Barber Diabetes Research Fund and the Ike Barber Human Islet Cell Transplant Laboratory, located at the Vancouver General Hospital.

In October 2002, Barber committed $20 million to the University of British Columbia to spearhead the construction of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. The facility provides innovative teaching and is dedicated to the intellectual, social, cultural, and economic development of the people in British Columbia.

A forester, prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist, Dr. Irving K. Barber was recognized by the Order of British Columbia in 2003, and became an Officer of the Order of Canada the following year. As of 2008, Barber and his wife Jean live in Delta, British Columbia and have three grown children, as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Editor and Publisher, Toronto Star

Joseph E. Atkinson is remembered most notably as the publisher of the Toronto Star, a dying newspaper he resuscitated in 1899 and successfully headed for half a century. Atkinson was also a crusader for the less fortunate, using his money and position to espouse his belief in social justice. Born near Newcastle, Ontario in 1865, Joseph born into a poor family and became an orphan at the age of thirteen. As a young man he was inspired by the works of Tolstoy, who argued for social reform. Atkinson’s difficult childhood also contributed to his career as a social activist.

Joseph had ambitions to become a banker until he joined the Port Hope Times as a clerk at age eighteen. Within two years he was writing the kind of human interest stories that would later make the Toronto Star famous. Soon earning a reputation as one of the best reporters in Toronto, Joseph went on to become the Ottawa correspondent for the Toronto Globe, and later the managing editor of the Montreal Herald.

When a group of Liberals acquired the Toronto Star in 1899, Atkinson was asked to turn the floundering newspaper around, with the expectation that the paper be used to promote the Liberal agenda. Though Joseph was a strong supporter of Liberal social policy, he was adamant that the Star be allowed to operate without interference from political or business interests. On these terms, he set out with great enthusiasm to turn the Star around. By the 1920s, the Toronto Star had joined the ranks of the country’s most successful newspapers.

Atkinson used the editorial page to champion the causes of family allowances, old age pensions, worker’s compensation and unemployment insurance. Social welfare legislation enacted by Prime Minister Mackenzie King occurred largely in response to the prominence these issues attained in Atkinson’s Star. As an avid advocate for the minorities, a number of today’s key social policies resulted in part from Joseph Atkinson’s actions. The Atkinson Charitable Foundation was established in 1942, and has since donated over $55 million to health, economic justice, culture, education and social welfare initiatives.

Atkinson ran the Toronto Star until his death in 1948, at the age of 82. A tribute to him was subsequently published in the Star, written by Prime Minister Mackenzie King and declaring Atkinson to be “a great journalist, a zealous reformer and a true Canadian.”

Maxwell W. Ward. From a bush-pilot – flying trappers and miners into the Arctic wilderness – he built his business into the nation’s third largest airline, with an international reputation for class and efficiency. Flying would be a life-long passion for Max. His training came in the airforce. Although he didn’t take well to military discipline, his skill as a pilot saw him graduate as an instructor.

In 1945, with two thousand dollars of his own and four thousand more borrowed from family and friends, Max made a down payment on his first airplane – a de Havilland Fox Moth. He established a charter service to Yellowknife and soon had more work than he could handle. His next plane was a de Havilland Otter. Wardair soon had a fleet of them flying out of Yellowknife.

Max decided to expand his business into international passenger charters in the early sixties. On June 22, 1961 he changed the company’s name to Wardair Canada Ltd. to indicate its new international ambitions. The first overseas charter took off in 1962 from Edmonton to Copenhagen.

Whenever people spoke of Wardair, they always cited its high level of service. That’s the part Max Ward is most proud of.

Max Ward and Wardair had achieved many things, but “possibly, Wardair’s greatest contribution,” says Max “was to demonstrate clearly to Canadians that they could be the world’s best and that the satisfaction of such an achievement is worth the effort.”