Edwin Mirvish, storekeeper, restaurateur, international patron of the arts, is known to the world as “Honest Ed.”

Nine year old Ed began working as a stock boy in his father’s grocery store. After his father’s death Ed struggled to keep the fledgling store open. When it eventually folded Ed went to work in a supermarket.

In 1941 Mirvish and his wife Anne opened a tiny sportswear shop. They rapidly expanding lines of merchandise soon occupied an entire block. Ed’s philosophy of low prices, warehouse-style merchandising and cash only created the unique shopping emporium – Honest Ed’s.

Ed’s next investment was to convert nearby row housing into a collection of studios, specialty shops and restaurants known as Mirvish Village.

In 1962 Ed purchased and refurbished Toronto’s “Royal Alex” Theatre. Next door he opened Ed’s Warehouse – the first of six theme restaurants built for the convenience of theatre patrons. The Mirvish name became known internationally when in 1982 Ed and his son David purchased England’s Old Vic Theatre. Their privately funded Princess of Wales Theatre opened in Toronto in 1993.

Of his multi million dollar empire Edwin Mirvish, remarkably genuine and generous, wrote “Looking back, it has taken me just seventy years to become an overnight success.”

Ronald Southern is the co-founder and Chairman of ATCO Ltd. His vision transformed a two dollar a day rental business into a billion dollar global success story. Today, ATCO Group is an Alberta-based worldwide organization of companies with assets in the billions, and has three main business divisions: Power Generation, Utilities (natural gas and electricity transmission and distribution) and Global Enterprises (industrials, technology, logistics and energy services).

In 1947 R.D. Southern and his father, S.D. Southern created the business Alberta Trailer Hire with the purchase of 15 utility trailers. This unique, custom-built trailer met housing needs of oil industry workers. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta in 1953, Mr. Southern set aside plans to begin a medical career and chose instead to continue with Alberta Trailer Hire, which later became ATCO.

For more than sixty years, Southern has remained committed to quality control and customer satisfaction. An inspiring leader, he once said, “Plan carefully, surround yourself with people that can get the job done, then delegate.” This philosophy has made ATCO one of the largest suppliers of workforce housing in Canada and brought a significant share of international markets.

Mr. Southern is unwavering in his support of the community. Together with his wife Margaret, the Southerns built a world class show jumping facility, Spruce Meadows, where they continue to provide strong leadership in fostering excellence in competitive and amateur competition. Both Mr. and Mrs. Southern were inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

In 2006, Mr. Southern was appointed Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. The Canadian Manufacturing Hall of Fame inducted Mr. Southern in 2007 and the next year the Modular Building Institute welcomed him and his father to their Hall of Fame for their vision and dedication in pioneering the workforce housing industry. Mr. Southern has also received many honorary degrees and has served as director of several corporations including Canadian Pacific, Canadian Airlines, and Chrysler Corporation of Canada.

As of 2008, Ronald Southern remains Chairman and majority shareholder of ATCO. His daughter, Nancy Southern, succeeded him as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2003. Mr. Southern was inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1986, promoted to an Officer in 2003, and eventually elevated to a Companion in 2007.

William Southam, an early giant in the Canadian newspaper publishing business, and founder of Southam Press, was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1843.

William began his career in the print business at the age of 12, delivering papers for the London Free Press in London, Ontario. In 1877, after completing his printers’ apprenticeship, and learning all he could about the editorial side of the business, he became an investor in the Free Press.

At age 34, he and William Carey bought the money-losing Hamilton Spectator. Through diligence and hard work, the paper flourished, and in 1881 Carey and Southam purchased a Toronto printing business. The partners invested the profits into acquisitions of major Canadian newspapers, including the Ottawa Citizen, Calgary Herald, Windsor Star, and Montreal Gazette.

Throughout the 1920’s William, now joined by his two sons, merged all of his national holdings into William Southam & Sons Limited.

The Southam Publishing Co. Ltd., formed in 1927, continued to operate as Southam Inc. for decades to come. The century-old legacy made a tremendous contribution to Canadian business through its diverse holdings, including newspapers, printing businesses, book retailing, trade shows, and electronic information services.

William, a man with a strong sense of public service, said of life: “People usually receive from life what they put into it; give your best, and the best will come back to you.”

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.