McCAIN, G. WALLACE F. - The son of a New Brunswick potato seed exporter and one of Canada’s most notable entrepreneurs and generous philanthropists, dead at 81.
G. Wallace F. McCain, co-founder and Vice Chairman, McCain Foods and Chairman, Maple Leaf Foods, died May 13, 2011 after a 14-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
He leaves his beloved wife of 56 years, Margaret (nee Norrie), four children and nine grandchildren: son Scott and grandchildren Sarah, Jennifer and Jeffrey; son Michael (Chris) and grandchildren Jonathan, Lauren, Hilary, Scott and Hannah; daughter Martha; and daughter Eleanor and grandchild Laura. He is survived by his sister, Marie Sutherland.
Wallace McCain was born in 1930 in Florenceville, New Brunswick, a farming community with a population of fewer than 1,000 residents. His father, A.D. McCain, who came from a long line of potato farmers who first arrived in Canada from Ireland in 1825, built McCain Produce, a potato seed export business. He and his wife, Laura, had six children. Wallace was the youngest.
Wallace and his brother Harrison were determined and ambitious – traits that would serve them well as entrepreneurs. In their 20s, with the support of their elder brothers Robert and Andrew, Wallace and Harrison decided to build a business - one that would change the face of the food manufacturing industry.
In February of 1957, with a staff of 30, McCain Foods’ first plant opened in Florenceville and produced 1,500 lbs of product per hour with sales of $152,000 in the first year of operation. More than 50 years later, McCain Foods is a Canadian success story and a proud global brand with annual sales of approximately $6 billion. It has operations in 15 countries and its products are marketed in more than 160 countries worldwide. Today, one in every three French fries worldwide comes from McCain.
Wallace, a straight talker with a self-deprecating manner, often attributed the success of McCain Foods to the “team of truly great people… who cared a lot… and wanted to make a difference.”
In 1995, the McCain family, together with a financial partner, acquired a controlling interest in Maple Leaf Foods. Wallace was appointed Chairman of the Board. Since then Maple Leaf Foods has transformed into one Canada’s leading consumer packaged food companies with more than 21,000 employees worldwide and sales of approximately $5 billion.
Wallace continued to serve as Vice-Chairman at McCain Foods and was also a director of Canada Bread and Brookfield Asset Management until his death.
Wallace McCain was widely recognized for his business and humanitarian accomplishments with numerous honorary degrees and awards. Among these:
- Mount Allison University (LL.D. in 1973)
- University of King’s College (D.C.L. in 1987)
- University of New Brunswick (D.Litt. in 2002)
- Dalhousie University (LL.D. in 2007)
- Trent University (B.Ed. in 2007)
- St. Francis Xavier University (LL.D. in 2011)
- University of Toronto (LL.D. in 2007)
- Knight of the Golden Pencil Award, Toronto, 1988
- Gary Wright Humanitarian Award from Friends of We Care Inc., 1992
- Honorary Life Member, Potato Association of America, 1992
- Canadian Business Hall of Fame, 1993
- Officer of the Order of Canada, 1995
- New Brunswick Business Hall of Fame, 1997
- B’nai Brith Award of Merit, 1999
- Honorary Life Member, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick, 2003
- Order of New Brunswick, 2003
- Canadian International Executive of the Year, 2003
- Canadian Manufacturing Hall of Fame, 2006
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Ontario Lifetime Achievement Award
- International Horatio Alger Award, 2008
- Companion of the Order of Canada, 2008
Despite the accolades, Wallace remained selfless and understated. He credits Harrison’s and his visionary leadership to always looking forward. “No matter how good Harrison and I, and our people, were in our day, it should never be the same. Great companies renew themselves.”
He was equally proud of his family’s renewal, “…from a family business to a business family.” Often putting in 18-hour days in the early years, Wallace enjoyed breakfast and dinner with his family every day he wasn’t travelling, and ensured he was home every weekend. This family bond endured through the years. All four of Wallace and Margaret’s children live within 10 minutes of their parents.
According to his wife Margaret, the first woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, she and Wallace believed that devotion to family and a strong work ethic were essential, as was dedication to the church and community. They founded and annually fund the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation which champions and researches early childhood programs and policies across Canada.
Together, Wallace and Margaret have contributed countless hours and millions of dollars to philanthropic causes. Wallace once said, “I liked making money, but I love giving it away even more.”
Other charitable organizations that have benefitted from Wallace McCain’s involvement and the McCain’s generosity include, among others:
- Canada’s National Ballet School
- Wallace McCain Student Centre (Mount Allison University)
- McCain Chair in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (St. Michael’s Hospital)
- Wallace McCain Centre for Pancreatic Cancer (Princess Margaret Hospital)
- Wallace McCain Institute (University of New Brunswick)
- The Metropolitan Community Church (Toronto)
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto)
If desired, donations can be made through www.wallacemccaintribute.ca to the following charities: Andrew and Laura McCain Library; St. Michael’s Hospital - Therapeutic Endoscopy Program; Princess Margaret Hospital - The Wallace McCain Centre for Pancreatic Cancer; Mount Allison University; and Canada’s National Ballet School. Condolences and memories can also be shared on the site.
The family will receive friends at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME - A.W. MILES CHAPEL – 1403 Bayview Ave., Toronto, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 18th and 19th of May. The funeral service will be held at ST. PAUL’S BLOOR STREET, ANGLICAN CHURCH, 227 Bloor Street East on 20th of May, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
The service will be satellite linked to the CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD and FLORENCEVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH in Florenceville, New Brunswick at 2:00 p.m. Atlantic Time.