Maurice Pollack

Maurice Pollack (January 28, 1885 – December 16, 1968) was a Canadian merchant and philanthropist.

Born in Kanele, Kiev, in Ukraine, he arrived in Canada in 1902, and settled in Quebec City, where he opened a department store at the age of 20 years, in the Saint-Roch district of Québec City. M. Pollack Ltd. became one of the largest companies in the region, and Maurice Pollack became prosperous enough to retire to devote himself to philanthropy.

The Maurice Pollack Foundation

In 1955, Maurice Pollack set up a foundation to aid Canadian organizations. Maurice Pollack was its president until his death, and was succeeded by his son, Charles C. Pollack.

The Foundation allocated most of its funds to institutions in Quebec, notably to Laval University, McGill University, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. In 1966, the Foundation earmarked a fund for the construction of a concert hall at McGill University.^[1]

The Foundation has also funded the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital in Montreal, and the Pollack Cultural Centre at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom (Westmount, Quebec).

Recognition

The Maurice Pollack Award is presented to individuals in recognition of their efforts regarding equal access to employment for Quebecers from cultural communities and visible minorities, as well as accommodation of ethno-cultural diversity and adaptation of services in the workplace. The award honours two laureates, one in the “public and para-public corporations or organizations” categoryand the other, in the “private sector enterprises or organizations” category.

At Laval University, the student services building, which his foundation helped to set up, is named after him: the Pavillon Maurice-Pollack.^[2]

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