23 Facts About Jim Pattison

James Allen Pattison was born on October 1,1928 and is a Canadian business magnate, investor, and philanthropist.

Jim Pattison is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he holds the position of chief executive officer, chairman and sole owner of the Jim Pattison Group, Canada's second largest privately-held company, with more than 45,000 employees worldwide, and annual sales of $10.1 billion.

Jim Pattison was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in December 2018, having previously been appointed to the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia, and receiving the Governor General's Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary in Canada.

Jim Pattison's parents resided in the rural town of Luseland, Saskatchewan, when he was born at the hospital in nearby Saskatoon.

The family moved to East Vancouver, British Columbia when Jim Pattison was six years old, but he returned to Saskatchewan during summers.

Jim Pattison had many jobs while in high school, including selling doughnuts in the school parking lot, selling seeds door-to-door, delivering newspapers, and working as a page boy at the Georgia Hotel.

Jim Pattison graduated from John Oliver Secondary School in 1947.

Jim Pattison parlayed that success into a job selling used cars during the summer at one of the largest used-car lots in Vancouver, using his earnings to pay for his studies at the University of British Columbia.

Jim Pattison entered the media business when he bought Vancouver AM radio station CJOR with five partners.

Jim Pattison Agriculture is the second-largest John Deere dealer in Canada, with 19 locations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Jim Pattison owned the Vancouver Blazers of the World Hockey Association.

Jim Pattison led the organization of Expo 86 in Vancouver as the chief executive officer and president of the Expo 86 Corporation.

Jim Pattison demanded much of his team but no more than he himself was prepared to give.

On February 15,2008, Jim Pattison Group announced the purchase of the GWR organization, the company known for its Guinness World Records franchise.

Jim Pattison was involved with the committee for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Jim Pattison was listed as No 177 on the 2015 Forbes list of the world's richest people.

In late 2018, Jim Pattison was still working full-time, making a tour of Jim Pattison Agriculture farm equipment dealerships across the west, for example, driving a pickup truck thousands of kilometers to do so.

In September 2020, at age 91, Jim Pattison was continuing to look for fresh investment deals.

On March 28,2017, Jim Pattison donated $75 million to the construction of the new St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, a Canadian record for a private donation to a health care provider.

On May 30,2017, Pattison and the Jim Pattison Foundation announced they were donating $50 million, the largest private donation in Saskatchewan history, to the new Children's Hospital of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan which is expected to open in 2019.

Jim Pattison married Mary Hudson, whom he met at the Swift Current church camp when both were 13.

At a Los Angeles auction on November 17,2016, Pattison purchased the Jean Louis dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang "Happy Birthday, Mr President" to President John F Kennedy at a celebration of his 45th birthday.

At age 90, Jim Pattison still enjoyed playing the piano, organ and trumpet.