Irving Schwartz
Encyclopedia
Irving Schwartz, OC
(August 27, 1929 – September 18, 2010) was a Canadian
businessman. He was a noted community leader, philanthropist, and humanitarian. He was inducted into the Order of Canada
for his work towards ridding the world of landmines, and was later made an officer of the order.
, Nova Scotia
to Abraham and Rose Schwartz. They had a small clothing store on Plummer Avenue, the town's main street. After completing grade 11 at Mount Carmel School, Schwartz left high school in grade 11 to attend courses at Mount Allison University
and New York University
. Upon his return to Cape Breton, in the early 1950s, he became a manager in his parents’ store. In 1955, at the age of 26, Schwartz became the president and general manager of Schwartz and Company. Over the next 30 years, he used this business as his base to go into other businesses and conduct philanthropic work.
. This operation was amalgamated with a Calgary company to form VillaCentres Limited. The newly combined company built nine nursing homes across the country and controlled the Park Plaza Hotel, in downtown Toronto
. In the 1970s, when Cape Breton's economy was starting to unravel, with the Sydney Steel Corporation
shedding jobs, and the coal mines around Industrial Cape Breton being slowly shutdown by DEVCO
, Schwartz tried to help Cape Breton's economy by investing in diverse businesses that were outside of the traditional heavy-industrial types that were the norm at the time, for example, seafood farming.
In 1976, he entered the cable television field by gaining a license for the cable franchise in the Glace Bay and New Waterford areas, known as Seaside Cable TV Ltd. This company eventually became Seaside Communications and is currently providing high-speed wireless internet throughout the rural areas of eastern Nova Scotia.
, President of the Lions' Club
, Chairman of the University College of Cape Breton, co-founder of Junior Achievement
in Cape Breton, Director of the National Theatre School of Canada
, advisory board member of the Dalhousie School of Business
, and Chairman of the Cape Breton Chapter of the Hebrew University.
In the early 1990s, he co-founded the Canadian International Demining Corps (CIDC), a charitable, non-government organization supportive of an international ban on the production, stockpiling and deployment of anti-personnel landmines. Headquartered in Sydney, it has provided humanitarian mine deactivation services in Bosnia
, Mozambique
, Kosovo
and Jordan
. Schwartz was honoured with the Order of Canada
in 1998 and was upgraded in rank to Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(August 27, 1929 – September 18, 2010) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
businessman. He was a noted community leader, philanthropist, and humanitarian. He was inducted into the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
for his work towards ridding the world of landmines, and was later made an officer of the order.
Early life
Schwartz was born in New WaterfordNew Waterford, Nova Scotia
New Waterford is a Canadian urban community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.-Geography:New Waterford is located north of Sydney and northwest of Glace Bay. It is named after the city of Waterford, in Ireland. It is located near the ocean and is bordered on one side by cliffs...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to Abraham and Rose Schwartz. They had a small clothing store on Plummer Avenue, the town's main street. After completing grade 11 at Mount Carmel School, Schwartz left high school in grade 11 to attend courses at Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University is a primarily undergraduate Canadian liberal arts and science university situated in Sackville, New Brunswick. It is located about a half hour from the regional city of Moncton and 20 minutes from the Greater Moncton International Airport...
and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. Upon his return to Cape Breton, in the early 1950s, he became a manager in his parents’ store. In 1955, at the age of 26, Schwartz became the president and general manager of Schwartz and Company. Over the next 30 years, he used this business as his base to go into other businesses and conduct philanthropic work.
Business career
Starting in the 1960s, he began investing in business ventures outside of the furniture and clothing businesses. He branched out into long-term care, by opening his first nursing home in Sydney, Nova ScotiaSydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
. This operation was amalgamated with a Calgary company to form VillaCentres Limited. The newly combined company built nine nursing homes across the country and controlled the Park Plaza Hotel, in downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. In the 1970s, when Cape Breton's economy was starting to unravel, with the Sydney Steel Corporation
Sydney Steel Corporation
Sydney Steel Corporation was a Crown corporation in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-Steel comes to Sydney:An integrated steel mill was established on the southeast side of Sydney Harbour in the Whitney Pier neighbourhood of Sydney, Nova Scotia in 1901 by American investors...
shedding jobs, and the coal mines around Industrial Cape Breton being slowly shutdown by DEVCO
Cape Breton Development Corporation
The Cape Breton Development Corporation, or DEVCO, was a Canadian federal government Crown corporation. It ceased operation on December 31, 2009, after being amalgamated with Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation ....
, Schwartz tried to help Cape Breton's economy by investing in diverse businesses that were outside of the traditional heavy-industrial types that were the norm at the time, for example, seafood farming.
In 1976, he entered the cable television field by gaining a license for the cable franchise in the Glace Bay and New Waterford areas, known as Seaside Cable TV Ltd. This company eventually became Seaside Communications and is currently providing high-speed wireless internet throughout the rural areas of eastern Nova Scotia.
Philanthropic work
From an early age he was involved with New Waterford's volunteer fire department, and ran blood donation drives. He served as President of the Cape Breton Children's Aid SocietyChildren's Aid Society
__notoc__The Children’s Aid Society is a private charitable organization based in New York City. It serves 150,000 children per year, providing foster care, medical and mental health services, and a wide range of educational, recreational and advocacy services through dozens of community centers,...
, President of the Lions' Club
Lions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International is a secular service organization with over 44,500 clubs and more than 1,368,683 members in 191 countries around the world founded by Melvin Jones Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, the organization aims to meet the needs of communities on a local and...
, Chairman of the University College of Cape Breton, co-founder of Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement or JA or JA Worldwide is a non-profit youth organization that was founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail, and senator Winthrop M. Crane. JA focuses on educating kids in K-12 about the free enterprise system...
in Cape Breton, Director of the National Theatre School of Canada
National Theatre School of Canada
The National Theatre School of Canada is a private college located in Montreal, Quebec.Established in Montreal in 1960, the National Theatre School of Canada offers professional training in English and French in a setting that unites all the theatre arts: acting, playwriting, directing, set and...
, advisory board member of the Dalhousie School of Business
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
, and Chairman of the Cape Breton Chapter of the Hebrew University.
In the early 1990s, he co-founded the Canadian International Demining Corps (CIDC), a charitable, non-government organization supportive of an international ban on the production, stockpiling and deployment of anti-personnel landmines. Headquartered in Sydney, it has provided humanitarian mine deactivation services in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. Schwartz was honoured with the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1998 and was upgraded in rank to Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004.