Order of Canada philanthropist David Bissett chides wealthy Calgarians who don't give to charity

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David Bissett, an investment manager-turned philanthropist in Calgary, is blunt when he reflects on the relative generosity of investors and business executives who made millions in Alberta’s boom times.

“An awful lot of people made an awful lot of money in this town, and you don’t see their names in the paper very often,” says Bissett, who was named Wednesday a member of the Order of Canada. 

“I managed money for a lot of wealthy people in town, and some of them showed up regularly as significant philanthropists, and some others you never saw.”

Bissett joins the Order of Canada in recognition of his success in the private sector and his willingness to spread his wealth. He has given away more than $70 million to community associations, wildlife groups and universities across the country.

“You start running out of money after a while,” he says with a laugh.

Born on Prince Edward Island, Bissett moved to Calgary in the late 1970s to run the western operations of a Montreal investment manager. Five years later, in 1982, he founded Bissett and Associates, which invested more than $5 billion on behalf of its clients before the firm was acquired by a California company in 2000.

Since the company sold, he spread his wealth widely. He and his wife gave the Calgary Foundation $8.2 million in 2001. A year later, he donated $5 million to what was then Mount Royal College, which named its business school after him. He later followed up with a $7-million gift to the Bissett School of Business, then the largest donation to a college in Canada.

A member of the Calgary Business Hall of Fame, Bissett has been recognized for his philanthropy, including his support for the conservation group Western Sky Land Trust, Dalhousie University in Halifax and Ducks Unlimited.

Given the downturn in the local economy, Bissett said charity is “even more needed now than it was before.”

“I’m getting probably a larger flow of requests than I ever have before because, obviously, everybody is very much stressed,” he said, noting he will continue supporting several local organizations. “Psychologically, it’s very difficult to give when your investment portfolio is not doing particularly well.”

Three other Calgarians are recipients of the Order of Canada:

Donald John Taylor, a successful businessman and investor who has spread his wealth across Calgary, was promoted from member status to become officer of the Order of Canada.

The promotion recognizes Taylor’s “influential and innovative donations as a benefactor of civic, educational and health care initiatives in Canada and abroad.”

Taylor was president of the HVAC equipment manufacturer Engineered Air when it grew from a struggling Calgary company to an expanding leader in its sector. He used earnings from the top post to invest in many successful business ventures, including Resman Oil and Gas, which was eventually sold to Morrison Petroleum.

Now an acclaimed philanthropist, Taylor’s family name is emblazoned on many important buildings throughout the city. In August, the Taylor Centre for the Performing Arts, a teaching space and concert hall at Mount Royal University, opened its doors. The $90-million facility was made possible in part by the Taylor family’s $21-million donation, the largest in Mount Royal’s history.

P. Kim Sturgess, founder and chief executive of a non-profit water conservation group, was named a member of the Order of Canada due to her “contributions to water stewardship and the advancement of women in engineering.”

A one-time gas pipelines engineer at the National Energy Board, Sturgess helmed Calgary-based bearing producer Revolve Magnetic Bearings until the company was sold to a Swedish company in 2001. She has served on a host of boards, including the Association of Professional Engineers, the Alberta Water Council, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the National Research Council.

Sturgess is now CEO of Alberta WaterSmart, a non-profit focused on improving the management of Alberta’s water resources.

Peter Valentine, a former auditor general in Alberta, was named a member of the Order of Canada “for his contributions to strengthening financial administration in Alberta and for his sustained commitment to community organizations.”

For 37 years, Valentine served in the auditing firm KMPG, where he built expertise in the oil and gas industry and Canadian securities, according to Bloomberg Business. After leaving the company, he served as auditor general of Alberta from 1995 to 2002.

Valentine was once president and chief executive of the Calgary Health Region and was a senior advisor to the University of Calgary’s Dean of Medicine. He has served a long list of directorships, including as governor and director of the Canada School of Public Service, a federal Crown corporation.

rsouthwick@calgaryherald.com