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Israel Harold "Izzy" Asper (August 11, 1932– October 7, 2003) was a Canadian
tax lawyer Tax law or revenue law is an area of legal study in which public or sanctioned authorities, such as federal, state and municipal governments (as in the case of the US) use a body of rules and procedures (laws) to assess and collect taxes in a ...
and
media magnate A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through pers ...
. He was the founder and owner of the now-defunct TV and media company CanWest Global Communications Corp and father to its former
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
and President Leonard Asper, former director and corporate secretary Gail Asper, as well as former Executive Vice President David Asper. He was also the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party from 1970 to 1975 and is credited with the idea and vision to establish the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.


Personal life and education

Israel Asper was born on August 11, 1932, to a Jewish 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 o ...
, the son of musicians Leon Asper and Cecilia Swet, who had emigrated from Ukraine in the 1920s. He married Ruth Miriam "Babs" Bernstein on May 27, 1956, at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, Winnipeg. Asper attended the University of Manitoba Law School in Winnipeg, where he received his law degree in 1957 and was called to the
bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar ( ...
shortly thereafter in July, eventually receiving a Master of Laws in 1964. On October 7, 2003, Asper died in St. Boniface Hospital at the age of 71 after suffering a heart attack. He was buried in the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery in Winnipeg in the presence of 1,500 mourners, including Prime Minister Jean Chrétien 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 (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 economy, and advocated the elimination of the welfare state. He also advocated the
public financing Public finance is the study of the role of the government in the economy. It is the branch of economics that assesses the government revenue and government expenditure of the public authorities and the adjustment of one or the other to achie ...
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 in the
Constitution Act of 1982 The ''Constitution Act, 1982'' (french: link=no, Loi constitutionnelle de 1982) is a part of the Constitution of Canada.Formally enacted as Schedule B of the ''Canada Act 1982'', enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Section 60 of t ...
. 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 subsequently began with the Winnipeg television station CKND-TV in 1975. Shortly after, in 1977, Asper formed CanWest Global Communications Corporation, which grew to encompass the Global Television Network, among other assets. In 2000, CanWest bought the media holdings of Conrad Black's Hollinger Inc. for $3.2 billion, allowing Asper control of the Southam newspaper group, over 60
Canadian newspapers There were five important periods in the history of Canadian newspapers' responsible for the eventual development of the modern newspaper. These are the "Transplant Period" from 1750 to 1800, when printing and newspapers initially came to Canada ...
(including the daily '' National Post'') 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 o ...
and western Canada, refusing enticements to move east to Toronto. He was also a noted philanthropist, making major donations to the areas of culture, arts, and
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
; 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. In 2001, Asper donated CA$5 million to the St. Boniface Hospital & Research Foundation. He was a prominent member of Canada's Jewish community as well, and a vocal supporter for the State of Israel. In this regard, among other positions, he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba; an Honorary Governor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; and an Honorary Chairman of the Jewish Community Campus of Winnipeg Inc. (The Asper Campus). Asper was also a close friend of many of Canada's prominent political and business elite, including Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin. Controversially, Asper's newspaper chain fired journalist Russell Mills when he wrote an article that was critical of Chretien and demanded he resign.


Views on Israel

As a youth, growing up in Winnipeg, Asper joined the socialist-Zionist youth movement Hashomer Hatzair which supported the creation of a
binational state The one-state solution, sometimes also called a bi-national state, is a proposed approach to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, according to which one state must be established between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean. Proponen ...
in Mandatory Palestine. As a result of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Asper's views on Zionism swung to the right and he came a supporter of Jabotinskyism and
Irgun Irgun • Etzel , image = Irgun.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = Irgun emblem. The map shows both Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan, which the Irgun claimed in its entirety for a future Jewish state. The acronym "Etzel" i ...
leader Menachem Begin and an opponent of Labour Zionism, and remained so for the rest of his life. 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 came with the idea to build the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) on 18 July 2000. Asper spent the next three years towards making the CMHR a reality, and had a thorough feasibility study conducted by museum experts from around Canada. In 2003, Asper established a private charitable organization 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 the 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 o ...
, and Winnipeg, as well as land donated by the Forks Renewal Corporation. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien committed the first $30 million towards the capital cost, 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 * 1979 – recipient of University of Manitoba Alumni Jubilee Award, Outstanding 25 Year Graduate * 1989, 1991 – elected "Manitoba Business Entrepreneur of the Year" * 1992 – Canadian Association of Broadcasters Gold Ribbon Award for Broadcast Excellence * 1993 – recipient of B’nai Brith International Award of Merit * 1995 – inducted as an Officer of the Order of Canada * 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 ...
* 1996 – chosen "Western Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year" * 1997 – inducted as Laureate of
Canadian Business Hall of Fame The Canadian Business Hall of Fame celebrates the outstanding achievements of Canada's most distinguished business leaders, past and present. Over 170 Order of the Business Hall of Fame Companions serve as inspiring examples for all young Canadians ...
* 1997 – recipient of International Distinguished Entrepreneur Award, University of Manitoba, School of Business * 1999 – inducted into Winnipeg Citizens Hall of Fame * 1999 – recipient of
North American Broadcasters Association The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) is a non-profit group of broadcasting organizations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is "committed to advancing the interests of broadcasters at home and internationally." As a member ...
International Achievement Award * 2000 – inducted as a Founding Member of the Order of Manitoba * 2000 – The Faculty of Management at the University of Manitoba renamed itself the Asper School of Business. * 2001 – recipient of the Edmund C. Bovey Award presented by the Canadian Business and Arts Council * 2001 – recipient of Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Manitoba Chapter * 2001 – recipient of Winnipeg Philanthropist of the Year Award * 2002 – awarded Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal * 2004 (''posthumous'') – received a lifetime achievement award from the Radio Television News Directors Association of Canada. * 2014 (''posthumous'') – a stretch of road in front of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights was named Israel Asper Way.


Honorary titles and degrees

* 1985 –
Honorary Fellow Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in ...
, Hebrew University of Jerusalem * 1986 – Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Militia * 1997 – Honorary Chairman of the Board, Asper Jewish Community Campus * 1997 – Honorary Chairman of the Board, Asper Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Manitoba * 1998 – Honorary Doctor of Laws and
Letters Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet. * Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alpha ...
, University of Manitoba * 1999 – Honorary Doctor of Philosophy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem * 2002 – Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree, McMaster University, Montreal


The Asper Foundation

The Asper Foundation is a philanthropic organization in Winnipeg. Claiming to be founded on the Jewish philosophies of '' tzedakah'' ('charitable giving') and ''
tikkun olam ''Tikkun olam'' ( he, תִּיקּוּן עוֹלָם, , repair of the world) is a concept in Judaism, which refers to various forms of action intended to repair and improve the world. In classical rabbinic literature, the phrase referred to leg ...
'' ('repair of the world'), the Foundation provides general support to Winnipeg's Jewish community as well as supporting the broader community, particularly in western Canada, in areas of culture,
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
, medical research, community development, and human rights. The Asper Foundation received its heraldic emblem by the Canadian Heraldic Authority in January 2003. As of 2019, the Foundation has $192 million in assets, 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, 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 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 Asper Jewish Community Campus, the
Saint Boniface Hospital Saint Boniface Hospital (french: Hôpital Saint-Boniface; also called St. B; previously called the Saint-Boniface General Hospital) is Manitoba's second-largest hospital, located in the Saint Boniface neighbourhood of Winnipeg. Founded by the Si ...
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 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 Israel (HUJI) to expand the "Asper HUJI Innovate"
startup accelerator Startup accelerators, also known as seed accelerators, are fixed-term, cohort-based programs, that include mentorship and educational components and culminate in a public pitch event or demo day. While traditional business incubators are often ...
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 Foundation's projects in Israel 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. , the Asper Foundation is currently leading the development of the World’s Jewish Museum, designed by Canadian–American architect Frank Gehry, in Tel Aviv.


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

*
The Asper Foundation

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Asper
at The Canadian Encyclopedia 2020, Historica Canada {{DEFAULTSORT:Asper, Izzy 1932 births 2003 deaths Izzy Canadian libertarians Canadian television company founders Canadian newspaper chain founders Canadian King's Counsel Canadian people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Canadian television executives Jewish 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 philanthropists