JOHN DANIELS

DANIELS--John. We celebrate the life and mourn the passing of John "Jack" Daniels. On October 22, 2022, at the age of 96, John passed away peacefully at his home in Toronto, Canada. John is survived by his beloved wife of 43 years, Myrna; children David (Kate), Mark (Andrea), Robert (Shauna), William "Zev," and Peter (Elly); stepchildren Elizabeth Finger (William) and Paul Finger (Marci), 18 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. A first generation Canadian, John arrived from Poland when he was 12 years old on the eve of the Second World War. Following graduation from high school, he enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Toronto where his career in real estate development began. As an architecture student, John and two classmates purchased lots in North Toronto and built his first homes, doing much of the work themselves. This laid the groundwork for John's remarkable career in real estate. In 1953, he formed his own development company and quickly became an industry leader in Toronto. In a career that has spanned nearly seven decades, as the former CEO of Cadillac Fairview Development Corporation and the founder and Chairman Emeritus of The Daniels Corporation, John has left an indelible mark on the quality of the places in which people live, work, play, create, learn, and shop. He played a key role in the development of Canadian landmarks such as the Toronto Eaton Centre and TD Centre, the 4,700-acre Erin Mills community in Mississauga, and the redevelopment and revitalization of 53 of the 69-acres of Toronto's Regent Park. As an innovative, forward-think- ing entrepreneur, John's reach spanned well beyond real estate. In 1976, he was instrumental in founding the "Festival of Festivals", which evolved into the Toronto International Film Festival. He also was a founder of the Toronto Sun newspaper and Cineplex Odeon Corporation. The University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and the iconic Daniels Building at One Spadina Crescent, along with Daniels Spectrum and Artscape Daniels Launchpad are further testament to John's indelible contributions to the City of Toronto and to Canada as a whole. Committed to building a legacy of impact, John's sense of social responsibility is vividly captured in the various philanthropic activities he supported personally and through both The Daniels Corporation and The John and Myrna Daniels Foundation. For the last 25 years, The Daniels Corporation has acted as Presenting Sponsor of Toronto Taste, Second Harvest's primary fundraising event. He is also responsible for the single largest land donation ever made to Habitat for Humanity (Canada) by a private company. The John and Myrna Daniels Foundation has made significant donations to institutions, such as New York-Presbyter- ian Hospital, the University of Toronto and Toronto's University Health Network, including the largest single donation to emergency medicine in Canada that will serve to elevate and transform the standard of urgent care for older adults across Canada. John Daniels' legacy will be forever remembered and carried forward by his visionary approach to real estate development, his vital role in the creation of significant Canadian landmarks, and his commitment to giving back to his community. His family, friends, colleagues, and associates will miss him dearly.