Canada’s Top 45 Over 45: 2012

The 3rd Annual Zoomer List (2012): Canada’s Top 45 over 45. Here, the editors of Zoomer magazine bring you those who, in the last year, have made a difference in their chosen fields and passions while improving our lives and that of our country.

1. Sherry Abbott, 53

Cancer Care Advocate. In 1992, she was a 32-year-old cosmetic executive who was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. She fought the disease and won but during her time as a cancer patient, she witnessed a gap in care for women living with the disease. Thanks in large part to Abbott’s dedication to filling that gap, this fall marks the 20th anniversary of the charitable program, Look Good Feel Better, where women with cancer participate in seminars for makeup and hair application so they can look and feel more like themselves during and after treatment. Established in Canada by the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association Foundation, where Abbott currently is executive director, the group also launched the website facingcancer.ca, creating an online community for women to connect, as part of their 2010 program
Facing Cancer Together. “Not only is it my passion, it’s both an honour and a privilege to be part of an organization so dedicated to supporting women at one of the most challenging times of their life because no woman should ever have to face cancer alone.”

2. Paul Alofs, 56

CEO of the Princess  Margaret Hospital Foundation. During his nine years at PMHF – Alofs has brought 25 years of corporate experience – he helped raise $550 million. He’s now spearheading a new campaign to raise $1 billion for research into personalized cancer treatments. His book, Passion Capital, shares his observations on how institutions can harness workers’ energy and intensity. “Passion Capital is a brand new asset class and a new way to think about success. Passion Capital is the energy plus intensity plus sustainability that people of all ages generate when they learn how to ‘put their passion to work.’ ”

3. Charlie Angus, 49

MP, Timmins-James Bay, ONT. Blogging for Huffington Post in November 2011, the NDP MP shocked Canadians with his account of living conditions in Attawapiskat, a remote First Nation reserve in Ontario’s far north. The Timmins, Ont.-born writer documented a visit he had made to the forgotten poverty-stricken community where people lived in shacks,with no plumbing or electricity. His story went viral, and the government was forced to take action. “In a country as rich and as just as Canada, this is simply unacceptable.”

6. Lisa Brown, 50

Executive/Artistic Director. A registered nurse, Brown started a theatre company 25 years ago for artists with mental health or addiction issues. Today, Workman Arts (WA) has broadened its scope and spawned original plays, a film festival, an annual art exhibit – even a wearable art fashion show. Psychosocial Rehabilitation Canada awarded WA the 2011 Pioneer Recovery Award for Excellence for promoting education, support, wellness and recovery in the field of mental health. “I made a choice to focus on the art and the abilities and strengths of the individual, not on any perceived disability. I was quite proud [the award] identified us as an organization that aids in recovery, even though that is not our immediate focus.”

7. Walter Carsen, OC, 100

Arts Patron. The German-born Carsen landed on Canadian shores during the Second World War and started a business selling optical supplies, which grew into a successful company. The financial rewards were able to fuel his lifelong passion for the arts and resulted in numerous donations of both artworks – to the AGO, for one – and funding – Carsen paid for the renovation of the Shaw Festival Royal George Theatre, established the Walter Carsen Prize for the Perform- ing Arts and has underwritten 12 National Ballet productions as well as donating the lead gift for the construction of the company’s permanent home, known as the Walter Carsen Centre for the National Ballet of Canada. “I encourage people to become involved with living artists. Having the opportunity to interact with them and learn from them is the best portal from which to enter the arts.”

8. Jessie Davies, 70

Environmentalist. As co-chair of Save Passamaquoddy Bay Canada (she’s retired from the position of director, environment and sustainable development research centre at the University of New Brunswick), she coalesced coastal residents, Canadian and American, to take on “big energy.” They’re fighting liquid natural gas transportation along the coast of Maine and New Brunswick. Davies has helped raise more than $1 million toward efforts that include the creation of Pagan Point Nature Preserve, a 12-hectare marine salt marsh and forest turned protected ecological tourist site in Charlotte County, N.B. “In my work for protected natural areas, it’s a sense of wonder and hope that something so beautiful and important can be preserved forever.”

11. Earl Fee, 83

Runner, hurdler. So far, he has set 55 world masters records and still runs 200-metre hurdles and 200-metre, 400-metre and 800-metre races where he regularly competes against a field of eight to 12. (Masters athletes compete by age in five-year age groups, beginning at 35-39.) Hailed as The Great Earl on the track, he’s confident he’ll add more records when he reaches the 85-90-age category. “I think my real age is 10 years younger than my actual age, which helps me when I line up for the race,” he observes. This past year, Fee released 100 Years Young the Natural Way: Body, Mind and Spirit Training, a book promoting longevity. “I have a chapter on Tantric sex and it’s the first chapter people turn to.”

12.  Niv Fichman, 53

Filmmaker. So, you want to be a big-time movie director? For a handful of rookie filmmakers, Rhombus Media’s Fichman, who produced such notable films as The Red Violin and 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould, is making that dream a reality. Through a partnership with Alliance Atlantis, the First-Time Filmmaker Initiative helps hopefuls from around the world – and Canada – make their films while picking up the tab. Now, only a few years in, the initiative is paying off with upcoming premieres including a screening at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. “We can only hope the future is kind to this new crop of filmmakers. They are gutsy, ambitious and innovative and can create great Canadian films that will make a mark at home and all over the world.”

13. Dr. Chris Frank, 48

Family Physician. He discovered a love for the complexity of geriatric care during residency and committed himself to the field where specialists are still in short supply. His involvement seems tireless: a former president of the Canadian Geriatrics Society, he currently chairs an elderly health program for the College of Family Physicians and a national elderly care education initiative on top of day jobs as clinical leader of specialized geriatrics services at Providence Care in Kingston and assistant professor in the department of medicine at Queen’s University. “I love the connection to history that I get working with older people.”

16. Supt. Craig Gibson, 55

First African-Canadian commanding officer of the RCMP. He is used to making a difference in communities across Canada, as he’s done in his 30-plus years on the job. But this summer, he made history, becoming the RCMP’s first black commanding officer when he took the top post in Prince Edward Island. Gibson, who currently co-chairs the National Advisory Committee for Visible Minorities, says he hopes his promotion will inspire all RCMP members to advance their careers within the organization. “I have had the opportunity to mentor several visible minority RCMP members during my career and will continue to promote diversity in the RCMP.”

17. The God Particle’s Physicists

When scientists announced the possible discovery of the Higgs boson, or God particle, in July, the country proudly celebrated the finding’s Canadian connection.

Nigel Lockyer, 58, director of TRIUMF

Think of him as a super-sleuth in the world of particle physics. After decades of searching for the painfully elusive Higgs boson, he joined Vancouver-based TRIUMF, Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics, as its director in 2007. Once there, he solidified the data analysis team and helped co-ordinate it with common efforts around the world. The years of dedication to the elusive by Lockyer and thousands of others finally paid off with the discovery of a particle that is consistent with the Higgs boson. “I do have an osmotic collective sense of success.”

Rob McPherson, 48, principal investigator at ATLAS

First, Canadians helped build ATLAS, a large particle detector located at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva, Switzerland. When it proved to be one of the pivotal experiments that led to the aforementioned possible discovery of the Higgs boson, it was McPherson at the helm as principal investigator of a 150-member team. The discovery itself was a momentous group success – a “tremendous validation” of the decades of work that led to it – but it also marked the culmination of McPherson’s personal 15-year search for the Higgs boson. And like any good researcher, he views the achievement as simply the beginning of an even greater scientific journey. “I see the Higgs as the first step to a much deeper understanding of matter and energy in the universe … There are tantalizing hints that [dark energy and  dark matter are] deeply connected to the Higgs particle, and we will learn this, using ATLAS and the LHC over the coming decade.”

21. Corey Hart, 50

Musician. The Montreal-born singer-songwriter blasted to the top of the charts in 1983 with his mega-hit Sunglasses at Night; however, decades later it was his 1988 song, Truth Will Set You Free, that has him making headlines again. Hart maintains he always intended it as a gay-positive song – he had many gay friends in the ’80s who had felt the sting of prejudice – but after the murder of gay student Matthew Shepard in 1998, he felt more strongly then ever about the issue of discrimination. His opportunity to make a real statement came this year when approached by a DJ who wanted permission to remix the tune: Hart punched up the lyrics and rerecorded it, making its pro-gay themes less cryptic. The result is a new verse about Shepard. Hart – who is straight and married with four children – also performed the tune at Toronto Pride this past June as a pro-gay anthem, telling a newspaper: “I think it was important that if I’m going to make a statement that I stand behind it physically and in every capacity that an artist can, which is to go on stage and perform.”

22. Jamaica 50 Leaders

Canada is home to the third largest Jamaican immigrant population in the world, and whether we’re celebrating Donovan Bailey’s gold medals, grooving to the likes of Jully Black or savouring the ubiquitous patties – their contributions are undeniable. This year to mark Jamaica’s independence jubilee, a cultural festival was created – and what a party it was.

Pamela Appelt, 69, director (she is a former judge of the Court of Canadian Citizenship) says: “The events serve to educate not only ourselves but other members of the Canadian family about the importance of sharing our history, culture and dreams so that together this country can be enriched, and the next generation can see themselves reflected in a positive way.”

Joe Halstead, 60, president (currently chairman of Ontario Place Corporation) says: “The legacy of Jamaica 50 is to represent the positive impact of this vibrant community of Jamaicans in Canada who are accomplished and engaged and give back to all Canadians.”

Len D. Henry, 56, brand director (television producer, director) says: “I learnt many years ago to imbue my work with my heritage. This lesson instantly freed my approach to everything – lighting, sound, movement, structure, shape, design – with the same warm smile – I am Jamaican.”

23. Stephen “Buddha” Leafloor, 53

26. Dr. Tak Mak, 66

Researcher. Dr. Tak Mak’s discoveries have made seminal contributions to the understanding of immunity, especially for cancer and HIV-AIDS. It started with his renowned breakthrough in cloning T-cell receptor genes more than 25 years ago and, most recently, he led an international team that identified an oncometabolite, a mutated metabolic enzyme linked with the onset of acute myeloid leukemia, one of the most common types of leukemia in adults. This finding will help in developing inhibitors to block the mutation and hopefully prevent the disease. He is currently  director of the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital and senior scientist in the division of stem cell and developmental biology at the Ontario Cancer Institute. “I started out in life to become a priest but then became captivated by the splendour of science.”

27. Preston Manning, 70

President and CEO of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy. After decades in municipal, provincial and federal politics, he still champions the cause of democratic and political reform in Canada. As president of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, which he and his wife, Sandra, founded in 2005, Manning advocates for the education and training of political activists. A Companion of the Order of Canada, Manning is also involved with the Fraser Institute and the Canada West Foundation. As he succinctly put it at this year’s ideacity, “If you want to work at Starbucks as a barrista, you need 30 hours of training, but you can become a member of Parliament without one hour of training.”

28. Ian Millar, 65

Equestrian Show Jumper. The lanky six-foot-one rider, a.k.a. Captain Canada, made the records books in London 2012 by being the only athlete ever to compete in 10 Olympic Games. That he also managed a personal best, finishing fifth individually, was icing on the cake. Millar won a team silver medal in Hong Kong’s Beijing Games in 2008 and isn’t ruling out an 11th Olympic appearance. “My first Olympics was Munich in 1972. I am better now than I was then, in knowledge and experience …The horse I have right now is Star Power.  If he’s willing to go to Rio, I’m willing.  If Star Power wants to go, he cannot go without me.”

31. Steve Paikin, 52

Anchor and Senior Editor The Agenda with Steve Paikin. This fall marks the 20th anniversary for multiple Gemini-nominated Paikin as TVO’s current affairs host. But 2012 was notable for other reasons, too: he received an honorary doctorate from Laurentian University, a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and was named the most influential Queen’s Park journalist on Twitter by public affairs consultancy and PR firm  Hill + Knowlton Strategies. Paikin’s latest book – his take on 50 years of Ontario politics – is due out next year. “It’s a privilege to talk with some of the brightest people in depth five nights a week with no commercial interruptions. Canadians consistently demonstrate an appetite for this kind of
depth, as evidenced by the fact that The Agenda is about to embark on its seventh season.”

32. Fred Penner, 66

Children’s entertainer. As host of TV’s Fred Penner’s Place for more than a decade beginning in the mid-’80s, the legendary children’s entertainer sang songs and captivated kids from his secret hiding spot in the forest. Now, 15 years after his show went off the air, those kids are grown up and rediscovering Fred Penner. Aside from performing festivals and concerts nationwide, the 2011 Order of Manitoba recipient plays universities, reconnecting with his fans and spreading his message “about basic human values and concepts, our need for home, respect, love, communication and understanding.” And, he admits, renditions of The Cat Came Back. “These intelligent young people affirm my original message and philosophy: if you make a positive contact with the vulnerable spirit of the child, you can affect adult attitudes.”

33. Christopher Plummer, 82

Actor. Genie, Emmy and Tony have been kind to the former Zoomer cover man and, this year, Oscar finally paid him his due. In March he became the oldest actor to ever win an Academy Award for his supporting role in the film Beginners. Still, despite reaching a career high, there’s no time to rest on his laurels. With a number of film roles on the go, plus the success of his recent, critically lauded one man show A Word or Two, Plummer may have to make some more space in his ever-expanding trophy case. “I love my profession. It keeps me young… I’ve had a wonderful life, seen the world and they’ve paid for it!”

36. Keren Rice, 63

Language Activist. A leader in the study of Aboriginal languages, linguistics professor Rice, founding director of the University of Toronto’s Centre for Aboriginal Initiatives, has created a grammar and in-depth dictionary of one dialect of the Slavey language of Canada’s Northwest Territories and helped standardize its written form. Her achievements garnered the 2011 Killam Prize, a $100,000 award for outstanding Canadian scholars, and the 2012 Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prize, worth $50,000, in the social sciences and humanities category. Rice plans to use the funds to create scholarships for grad students in linguistics and support efforts of Aboriginal teachers and students in the N.W.T. “The public has become so much more aware of the value of languages. The award tells us [Canadians] value the people who speak these languages – and the languages they speak.”

37. Phil Richards, 61

Artist. The Toronto-based artist admits he had dreamed of painting an official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. His dream came true when he was commissioned by the Government of Canada to create the Diamond Jubilee Portrait. Richards submitted his work for consideration and the Queen made the final decision, choosing him to create the new portrait. He says that when the Queen unveiled the painting, she paused, turned to him and said, “Philip, this has changed. This has changed quite a bit since I last saw it.” His response was, “Yes, it went from six inches to this.” – this being the much larger nine by six feet unframed. The Queen then turned to Governor General David Johnston and asked, “Are you going to have to rebuild Rideau Hall to get it in?” His reply? “I think we can find a spot for it.” Indeed, he did; the painting hangs on the main wall of the Ballroom of Rideau Hall in Ottawa, which is the site of many official ceremonies and one accessible to all Canadians; so much so that some call it the Heart of Canada. “The opportunity to meet and work with Queen Elizabeth II was certainly a high point … she was fully engaged in the development of the portrait, which made my task of painting her image that much easier.”

38. Joe Roberts, 45

Skid Row CEO. He was a homeless drug addict when at 24, his mother and the Salvation Army intervened. Roberts entered rehab and turned his life around, getting a college degree and eventually becoming the CEO of a multi-media development company. Years later, he was named one of Business in Vancouver’s 40 Under 40 Outstanding Business People and one of Maclean’s 10 Canadians Who Make a Difference. After stepping down from the company he is now known as the Skid Row CEO, touring the world giving motivational talks. He is also devoted to helping kids escape his former life – drugs and the streets. To that end, next year Roberts will push a shopping cart across Canada, covering close to 8,000 kilometres, to raise funds for at-risk youth. The website for the cause is thepushforchange.com “There is more in kids than they can see – my life is being poured out in an attempt to create legacy for kids at risk, kids that deserve a second chance, kids like me.”

41. Darryl Sutter, 54

Coach, L.A. Kings. In December 2011, the Los Angeles Kings, a 45-year-old franchise, was struggling through a desultory season when they convinced him to leave his cattle farm in his hometown of Viking, Alta., and take over as head coach. From a clan of seven boys (six of whom played in the NHL), Sutter had an eight-year playing career and has been a coach since 1992 with the Chicago Blackhawks, the San Jose Sharks and the Calgary Flames. The gruff taskmaster instituted his familiar brand of tough hockey, transforming the Kings’ fortunes and shocking the sporting world by leading them to their first taste of Stanley Cup glory. “It’s something you do from when you’re a little boy. You always play for the Stanley Cup.”

42. Lesley Thompson-Willie, 53

Coxswain. Canada’s women’s eight rowing team trusts her completely. She steers their 64-foot boat, corrects their stroke and sets them up to win the 2,000-metre races. At the 2012 Olympics in London, when her voice – calm, intense, fierce – asks them to pour it on, they dig deep, crossing the finish line with nothing left as they win a silver medal.  (After a fourth-place finish in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Andréanne Morin and Darcy Marquandt were done with rowing, but she tantalized with team news until they signed on again.) Long a legend in the rowing world, Thompson-Willie is the first Canadian to win medals in five different Olympic Games. The London, Ont., high school teacher-librarian works as hard in the gym as her rowers, telling the Toronto Star: “I really don’t think I can sit there in the boat when they’re starting to feel like they can’t go any harder, and tell them to go harder when I haven’t done it myself.”

43. Jutta Treviranus, 55

Director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre. A professor in the faculty of design at Toronto’s OCAD University, she dedicates her work to making the Internet and emerging technologies accessible to all, regardless of physical disability. Tools, like voice screen readers and textured-touch pads for the visually impaired or joysticks for those with limited mobility, grow out of the research promoted at IDRC. This past year also saw her co-convene the Designing Enabling Economies and Policies (DEEP) Conference that brought together the world’s most influential digital inclusion thinkers. “In these transformative times, digital inclusion is an urgent global responsibility and an investment with immense social and economic benefits.”