B.C.'s wealthiest man: Billionaire Jim Pattison on green tech, mistakes and philanthropy

As the owner of one of the country’s largest private companies, Jim Pattison has little desire to maintain a high profile, but on the rare occasion he appears publicly, it’s usually with a massive cheque he's presenting to a British Columbia hospital foundation grateful for the cash. 

Pattison spoke with CTV News two weeks after his latest donation – $30 million towards an acute care tower at Royal Columbian Hospital – and was characteristically humble about his contributions, explaining that his father instilled the spirit of philanthropy when he was a young boy. 

“My allowance was 50 cents, and he said, 'Put 10 per cent of what you make in the collection plate at the church.' It's called tithing, and so we've always, over the years, tithed," Pattison said.

The businessman, whom Forbes estimates to be worth nearly $15 billion CAD ($11 billion USD), has also signed the Giving Pledge established by Warren Buffet, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates, promising to give away at least half his fortune.

“It's no big deal, it's just people that want to support the communities,” Pattison said, but his chief operating officer put his generosity into context.

“Jimmy’s the biggest philanthropist in the country and he’s done a terrific job,” said Pattison Group president and former B.C. premier Glen Clark.

“I’m really proud of the fact that he’s chosen health care, because regardless of your income, regardless of your wealth or standing in life, health care in Canada is so important.”

Pattison is the biggest individual donor to the new St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, with a whopping $75-million contribution towards the $2-billion redevelopment in False Creek. 

PATTISON’S RIGHT HAND CONTROLS THE CHEQUEBOOK

While his name has become synonymous with contributions to B.C.’s health-care system and will hold a place of prominence on several hospital buildings to come, Pattison’s focus is on continuing to grow his business.

The philanthropic considerations of who will get money, and how much, are almost completely up to the woman he described as his “right hand” and assistant of 61 years.

“We get literally 100 (donation) requests a month and they're all valid, they're all good, but you have to do the due diligence,” said Maureen Chant from her office in the Pattison floor of the Shaw Tower in downtown Vancouver, where the phone rings virtually non-stop.

“It’s very much a big and important part of my life.”

Chant described small-time donations to high school sports teams when Pattison was starting out in the car business, and now agonizing over which causes should get the foundation’s support, with health care at the top of the list. Despite the pace and expectations, she remains invigorated. 

“I just wish I could turn the clock back and start all over again,” she said. “I really enjoy every minute of my working life. This is my happy place.”

A STORIED CAREER THAT CONTINUES

Pattison is now 94 years old and continues to work seven days a week, including international travel, spearheading major business deals and monitoring the workings of the Jim Pattison Group, which has 49,000 employees in multiple countries, and spans industries from automotive (the start and a basis of his business empire) to advertising, packaging to Guinness World Records. 

“I grew up in a family with no money to speak of,” Pattison recalled, gesturing to a large black-and-white photo of his first used car dealership in Vancouver, taken in May of 1968.

Right underneath is a hand-written letter from his mother in calligraphic script that he still cherishes, ending with the line “not failure, but low-aim is crime.”

“Boy, the number of mistakes I've done over the years, there's a lot of things I would've like to've done different, but overall it's turned out OK,” he quipped.

When CTV News asked whether he felt more pressure to donate given rising inflation and the difficulties British Columbians have making ends meet, Pattison said he hadn’t. And when asked what he thought about the idea of being philanthropic and supporting people by cutting prices at his grocery stores, like Save-On Foods, he replied: “I can't answer that question. We're in the grocery business, we're in the car business, we're in the leasing business, we're packaging business. We're in a lot of different businesses.” 

And while continuing to give away part of his considerable fortune is one of his core principles, Pattison doesn’t believe those with wealth have an obligation to support those in need.

“I have no opinions about what other people should do,” he said. “I'm trying to mind my own business and do what I think is best for our company and for our employees that we have and the communities that we live and work in.”

A NEW FOCUS FOR A NEW ERA

The foyer and library in Pattison Group’s top-floor office is full of the many awards the business magnate has received over the decades, as well as mementos and countless photos. It’s a virtual who’s-who of the business elite, American presidents, and other world leaders alongside a beaming Pattison. 

But despite his humble roots, traditional business trajectory, and footing in the past, Pattison’s biggest preoccupation right now is a very current concern: climate change.

“We're very conscious of everything we do today, we consider the climate,” he revealed.

When CTV News suggested there’s often a perception of tension or conflict between business interests and environmental stewardship, Pattison shook his head, insisting every option and strategy – from emissions reductions to green technology – have to be on the table and taken seriously.

“Business has to adjust, as everybody does, to support the climate,” said Pattison. “It's a fact of life we've got to deal with. It doesn’t matter where you live in the world.”