Scholarship Donor - AIT

Donor Since: 2002
Number of Scholarships: 5
Websites: Stollery Charitable Foundation
Scholarship Information: Bob Stollery Pre-Apprentice Scholarship (5)

History:
Bob Stollery was born in Edmonton in 1924, the second youngest of seven children, to Will and Kate Stollery. Will was a small housing and repair contractor, specialized in plastering. Eventually, each of the six Stollery boys would take an apprenticeship in plastering.

Bob served in the Canadian Navy from 1942 to 1945 on the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans. From 1945 to 1949, Bob obtained his degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Alberta. He joined Poole Construction in 1949 and progressed from Junior Engineer to Superintendent, to Project Manager/Estimator, to Manager (Edmonton), to Vice President Canada, to President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Bob Stollery arranged to purchase Poole Construction in 1977, and as Chairman and President, founded PCL Construction Group. He turned PCL into an employee-owned contractor, which now operates throughout Canada and the United States. PCL is currently the largest general contracting organization in Canada.

Bob Stollery was always an active volunteer with organizations such as the United Church, Western Industrial Training Centre, Grant MacEwan University, University of Alberta and the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Buildings such as the Stollery Children's Hospital and the Stollery Centre at the University of Alberta were named to honour his commitments of time, expertise and financial assistance. Along with John and George Poole, Bob Stollery revitalized the Edmonton Community Foundation in 1989 and served as its founding President for five years.

Amongst the many forms of recognition he received were honourary doctorates from four post-secondary institutions, the 1993 Canadian Business Leader of the Year, and recognition from Rotary International. In 2001, Bob received the prestigious Order of Canada.

In 1994, Bob and his family founded the Stollery Charitable Foundation, which provides significant funding each year to support programs, projects and services in the areas of poverty, health and education.