Joseph Harvey Shoctor (August 18, 1922 – April 19, 2001) was a Canadian theatre producer, real estate developer, and lawyer. Shoctor was born in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, Alberta in 1922, the son of a Jewish father, and grew up in the Boyle Street neighbourhood. He first became involved in the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

industry in his hometown, producing, writing, directing and acting with the Edmonton Little Theatre, Edmonton Light Opera, and entertaining

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

troops. After attending Victoria Composite High School, he attended law school at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...

and was called to the Alberta bar in 1948. In the 1960s, he worked in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

where he produced

with

Norman Twain Norman Twain (September 13, 1930 – August 6, 2016) was an American film and theatre producer. Early work in theatre Born in Atlantic City in 1930, Twain began his career in theatre, producing and directing over 50 stage productions on and of ...

. In Edmonton in 1965, he purchased the former Salvation Army Citadel building along with friends James L. Martin, Ralph B. MacMillan, and Sandy Mactaggart. The

Citadel Theatre The Citadel Theatre is the major venue for theatre arts in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, located in the city's downtown core on Churchill Square. It is the third largest regional theatre in Canada. History It began in a former Salvatio ...

was founded on October 12, 1965 with its first opening night on November 10, 1965. The theatre's first production to be performed was ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...

''. Shoctor was also involved with founding of the Edmonton Eskimos of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

, and also served as secretary-manager from 1954 to 1956. He was also governor of the

National Theatre School of Canada The National Theatre School of Canada (NTS, french: École nationale de théâtre du Canada) is a private institution of professional theatre studies in Montreal, Quebec. Established in 1960, the NTS receives its principal funding from grants ...

in Montreal.Dr. Joseph H. Shoctor , The Alberta Order of Excellence
/ref> A real estate developer, he worked on the planning of neighbourhoods near Rio Terrace, Edmonton, and was also a proponent of revitalization of

Downtown Edmonton Downtown Edmonton is the central business district of Edmonton, Alberta. Located at the geographical centre of the city, the downtown area is bounded by 109 Street to the west, 105 Avenue to the north, 97 Street to the east, 97 Avenue and Rossdale ...

. Shoctor was made an officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

in 1986. He received the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts in 1998 and the

Alberta Order of Excellence The Alberta Order of Excellence (french: Ordre d'excellence de l'Alberta) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Alberta. Instituted in 1979 when Lieutenant Governor Frank C. Lynch-Staunton granted royal assent to the Alberta O ...

in 1990. He is a member of the Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame, inducted as a builder in 1987, and a recipient of an honorary

doctor of laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...

from his alma mater, the University of Alberta, in 1981. A street in Edmonton, Joe Shoctor Alley, is named in his honour.Alberta's Real Estate Heritage – Joe Shoctor
/ref> He suffered a heart attack on April 8, 2001 and died in Edmonton on April 19, 2001. His funeral was held at the Beth Israel Synagogue in Edmonton and he was later buried at the Edmonton Jewish Cemetery.http://www.edmontonjewishcemetery.ca/wp-content/uploads/Shoctor-Joseph-Hyman.pdf

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shoctor, Joseph H. 1922 births 2001 deaths Canadian theatre managers and producers Businesspeople from Edmonton University of Alberta alumni Canadian real estate businesspeople Officers of the Order of Canada Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence 20th-century Canadian lawyers Canadian expatriates in the United States