Israel Harold "Izzy" Asper (August 11, 1932 – October 7, 2003) was a Canadian
tax lawyer and
media magnate. He was the founder and owner of the now-defunct TV and media company
CanWest Global Communications Corp and father to its former
CEO and President
Leonard Asper, former
director and
corporate secretary Gail Asper, and former
Executive Vice President
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
David Asper.
He was also the leader of the
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party () is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late 19th century, following the province's creation in 1870.
History
Origins and early development (to 1883)
Originally, there were no off ...
from 1970 to 1975 and is credited with the idea and vision to establish the
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR; ) is a Canadian Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation and List of national museums, national museum located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, adjacent to The Forks, Winnipeg, The Forks. The purpose of the ...
.
Personal life and education
Israel Asper was born on August 11, 1932, to a
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family in
Minnedosa,
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
, the son of musicians Leon Asper and Cecilia Swet, who had emigrated from
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
in the 1920s.
Asper married Ruth Miriam "Babs" Bernstein on May 27, 1956, at
Shaarey Zedek Synagogue,
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
.
Asper attended the
University of Manitoba Law School in Winnipeg, where he received his law degree in 1957 and was called to the
bar shortly thereafter in July, eventually receiving a
Master of Laws
A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject.
In many jurisdi ...
in 1964.
On October 7, 2003, Asper died in
St. Boniface Hospital at the age of 71 after suffering a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
.
He was buried in the
Shaarey Zedek Cemetery in Winnipeg in the presence of 1,500 mourners, including Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a retired Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. He served as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, leader of t ...
and leading politicians.
Career
He founded the firm of Asper, Freedman & Co. in 1959,
and was also a partner and co-founder of the firm Buchwald, Asper, Henteleff (now Pitblado LLP) along with
Harold Buchwald and
Yude Henteleff.
In 1970, he wrote ''The Benson Iceberg: A Critical Analysis of the White Paper on Tax Reform in Canada''.
Also that year, Asper was elected leader of the
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party () is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late 19th century, following the province's creation in 1870.
History
Origins and early development (to 1883)
Originally, there were no off ...
(defeating university professor
John Nesbitt). Asper represented a
right-libertarian
Right-libertarianism,Rothbard, Murray (1 March 1971)"The Left and Right Within Libertarianism". ''WIN: Peace and Freedom Through Nonviolent Action''. 7 (4): 6–10. Retrieved 14 January 2020.Goodway, David (2006). '' Anarchist Seeds Beneath the ...
strain within the party. In the
Manitoba election of 1973, he promoted a
laissez-faire
''Laissez-faire'' ( , from , ) is a type of economic system in which transactions between private groups of people are free from any form of economic interventionism (such as subsidies or regulations). As a system of thought, ''laissez-faire'' ...
economy, and advocated the elimination of the welfare state. He also advocated the
public financing of election campaigns, to ensure that politics would not be dominated entirely by monied interests.
Moreover, as leader of the Manitoba Liberals, he supported the provincial Bill of Rights, and would go on to seek inclusion of the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' (), often simply referred to as the ''Charter'' in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part of the '' Constitution Act, 1982''. The ''Char ...
in the
Constitution Act of 1982.
His Liberals won only five seats, and Asper was elected in
Wolseley by only four votes. He resigned as party leader and MLA in 1975, though he continued to support the Manitoba Liberal Party in later years.
His media empire began with the Winnipeg
television station
A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the earth's s ...
CKND-TV
CKND-DT (channel 9) is a television station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, part of the Global Television Network. The station is owned and operated by network parent Corus Entertainment, with studios on the 30th floor of 201 Portage in downtow ...
in 1975. Shortly after, in 1977, Asper formed
CanWest Global Communications Corporation, which grew to encompass the
Global Television Network
The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English language, English-language terrestrial television, terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's se ...
, among other assets.
In 2000, CanWest bought the media holdings of
Conrad Black
Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour (born 25 August 1944), is a Canadian-British writer and former politician, Publishing, newspaper publisher, Investor, financier, and Fraudster, convicted fraudster.
Black's father was businessma ...
's
Hollinger Inc. for $3.2 billion, allowing Asper control of the
Southam newspaper group, over 60
Canadian newspapers (including the daily ''
National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only. '') as well as several important offshore newspapers and journals.
Asper was noted for his fierce loyalty to
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
and
western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...
, refusing enticements to move east to
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
.
He was also a noted
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
, making major donations to the areas of
culture
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
, arts, and
education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
; to expand on these endeavours, the Asper Foundation was established in 1983 in Winnipeg.
In 1997, to focus on his philanthropic career, Asper resigned as CEO of CanWest to become
Executive Chairman
The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
.
In 2001, Asper donated
CA$5 million to the
St. Boniface Hospital & Research Foundation.
He was a prominent member of
Canada's Jewish community and a vocal supporter for the
State of Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
.
Among other positions, he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
Asper was also a close friend of
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a retired Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. He served as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, leader of t ...
and
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
Th ...
. Controversially, Asper's newspaper chain
fired ''Ottawa Citizen'' publisher
Russell Mills after he wrote an article that was critical of Chrétien.
Views on Israel
As a youth, growing up in Winnipeg, Asper joined the socialist-Zionist youth movement
Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair (, , 'The Young Guard') is a Labor Zionism, Labor Zionist, secular Jewish youth movement founded in 1913 in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary. It was also the name of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party, the ...
which supported the creation of a
binational state in
Mandatory Palestine
Mandatory Palestine was a British Empire, British geopolitical entity that existed between 1920 and 1948 in the Palestine (region), region of Palestine, and after 1922, under the terms of the League of Nations's Mandate for Palestine.
After ...
. As a result of the
1948 Arab–Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civil war becam ...
, Asper's views on
Zionism
Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
swung to the right and he became a supporter of
Jabotinskyism and
Irgun
The Irgun (), officially the National Military Organization in the Land of Israel, often abbreviated as Etzel or IZL (), was a Zionist paramilitary organization that operated in Mandatory Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of th ...
leader
Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin ( ''Menaḥem Begin'', ; (Polish documents, 1931–1937); ; 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992) was an Israeli politician, founder of both Herut and Likud and the prime minister of Israel.
Before the creation of the state of Isra ...
and an opponent of
Labour Zionism. Asper said of his views "because the Labour Zionists got control of the educational institutions, and of the government, I utterly supported Begin from the time I was 12 or 13. Without him and his guerrilla revolt against the British, there would be no Israel."
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Israel Asper first had the idea to build the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) on 18 July 2000. Asper spent the next three years making the CMHR a reality, and had a thorough
feasibility study
A feasibility study is an assessment of the practicality of a project or system. A feasibility study aims to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of an existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats pr ...
conducted by museum experts from around Canada.
In 2003, Asper established a private
charitable organization
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definitio ...
to build the CMHR, called the Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
On April 17, the 21st anniversary of the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms, an event was held at
The Forks in Winnipeg where Asper first publicly announced his intent to create the CMHR. The announcement included considerable funding commitments from the
governments of Canada,
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
, and
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, as well as land donated by the
Forks Renewal Corporation. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien committed the first $30 million towards the
capital cost {{no footnotes, date=December 2016
Capital costs are fixed, one-time expenses incurred on the purchase of land, buildings, construction, and equipment used in the production of goods or in the rendering of services. In other words, it is the total ...
, and private fundraising was soon overseen by the Friends of the CMHR.
Later that year, on October 7, on his way to announce the architectural competition in Vancouver for the CMHR’s design, Asper died suddenly at the age of 71. His family, along with the Asper Foundation's executive director, vowed to continue to develop the museum. Two weeks later, the
groundbreaking ceremony was held at The Forks and the architectural competition announced.
In 2014, a stretch of road in front of the CMHR was named "Israel Asper Way".
Accolades and recognition
* 1975 – appointed
Queen’s Counsel
* 1995 – inducted as an Officer of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
* 1995 – inducted into the
Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame
The Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, started in 1982, recognizes Canadians in broadcasting or entertainment related industries who have "achieved outstanding success in helping raise industry standards from a material or humanitarian standpoint." T ...
* 1997 – inducted as
Laureate
In English, the word laureate has come to signify eminence or association with literary awards or Military awards and decorations, military glory. It is also used for recipients of the Nobel Prize, the Gandhi Peace Award, the Student Peace Pri ...
of
Canadian Business Hall of Fame
* 2000 – inducted as a Founding Member of the
Order of Manitoba
* 2000 – The Faculty of Management at the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...
renamed itself the Asper School of Business.
* 2001 – recipient of the Edmund C. Bovey Award presented by the Canadian Business and Arts Council
* 2002 – awarded
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal
Honorary titles and degrees
* 1986 – Honorary
Lieutenant-Colonel in the
Canadian Militia
The Canadian Militia is a historical title for military units raised for the defence of Canada. The term has been used to describe sedentary militia units raised from local communities in Canada; as well as the regular army for the Province of Ca ...
* 1998 – Honorary
Doctor of Law
A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
s and
Letters, University of Manitoba
* 1999 – Honorary
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...
,
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public university, public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. ...
* 2002 – Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree,
McMaster University
McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...
, Montreal
The Asper Foundation
The Asper Foundation is a
philanthropic organization in Winnipeg. The Foundation provides general support to Winnipeg's
Jewish community as well as supporting the broader community, particularly in
western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...
, in areas of
culture
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
,
education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
,
medical research
Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as health research, refers to the process of using scientific methods with the aim to produce knowledge about human diseases, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the promotion of ...
,
community development
The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activist ...
, and
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
.
The Asper Foundation received its
heraldic emblem from the
Canadian Heraldic Authority
The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; ) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for the creation and gran ...
in January 2003.
As of 2019, the Foundation has $192 million in
asset
In financial accounting, an asset is any resource owned or controlled by a business or an economic entity. It is anything (tangible or intangible) that can be used to produce positive economic value. Assets represent value of ownership that can b ...
s, and is one of Canada’s largest private foundations.
The Foundation was established in 1983 by Israel and Babs Asper, created from the wealth they had generated via
CanWest
Canwest Global Communications Corporation, which operated under the corporate name Canwest, was a major Canadian media conglomerate based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with its head offices at Canwest Place (now called 201 Portage). It held radio, ...
, to build upon theirs and their family’s philanthropic endeavours.
In 1997, to focus on this philanthropy, Israel Asper resigned as CEO of CanWest, remaining as
Executive Chairman
The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
instead.
Beneficiaries
Some initiatives in Winnipeg supported by the Foundation include the Asper Foundation Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program, the
Asper School of Business at the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...
, the Asper Jewish Community Campus, the
Saint Boniface Hospital Clinical Research Institute, Winnipeg Harvest, the
Lyric Theatre in
Assiniboine Park
Assiniboine Park (formerly known as City Park) is a park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, located along the Assiniboine River.
The Winnipeg Public Parks Board was formed in 1893, and purchased the initial land for the park in 1904. Although in use ...
, and several programs with the
United Way
United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. Prior to 2015, United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public. Individual Un ...
in Winnipeg.
On 22 November 2000, the Foundation donated $10 million each to
The Winnipeg Foundation and the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba. In October 2019, the Foundation announced a gift of
CA$5-million to the University of Manitoba to establish the "Asper Foundation Entrance Bursary," a $1,000 entrance
bursary program available to students in any faculty or school. In early 2021, the Foundation made a $5 million gift to the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) to expand the "Asper HUJI Innovate"
startup accelerator program at the University.
The Asper Foundation also created and sourced the funding for Canada’s 5th national museum, the
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR; ) is a Canadian Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation and List of national museums, national museum located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, adjacent to The Forks, Winnipeg, The Forks. The purpose of the ...
.
The Foundation's projects in
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
include the Centre for Entrepreneurship at HUJI, Community Action Centres and ‘Edible Gardens’ across Israel, a New Media Centre at
Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, and
Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies.
References
Further reading
* Edge, Marc. 2007. ''Asper Nation: Canada's Most Dangerous Media Company''. New Star Books. ISBN 1554200326.
* – biography
*
Miracle at the Forks: Companion Video Series
External links
*
Canadian Museum for Human RightsAsperat
The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Com ...
2020, Historica Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asper, Izzy
1932 births
2003 deaths
Izzy
Canadian libertarians
Canadian television company founders
Canadian King's Counsel
Canadian people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
Canadian television executives
Canadian philanthropists
Jewish Canadian politicians
Lawyers in Manitoba
Manitoba Liberal Party MLAs
Members of the Order of Manitoba
Officers of the Order of Canada
People from Minnedosa, Manitoba
University of Manitoba alumni
Global Television Network people
20th-century Canadian newspaper publishers (people)
Robson Hall alumni
20th-century Canadian philanthropists
20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba