Ukrainian-born philanthropist and businessman Maurice Pollack ran the department store M. Pollack Ltd. in Quebec City – one of the region’s largest and most successful companies.
Pollack was born in Kanele, Kiev. He came to Canada in 1902, speaking neither English nor French. At just 20 years old, he opened a small store on Saint-Joseph Street, which went on to have great success. This was especially noteworthy given the anti-Semitic climate of Quebec in the 1930s, in which the Catholic Church called for a boycott of Jewish stores and threatened excommunication for anyone who frequented his shop.
With his retail fortune, Pollack established a foundation in 1955. Pollack served as president until his death, at which point his son, Charles C. Pollack, took over. The Pollack Foundation has generously supported a range of Quebec institutions and organizations including McGill University, Laval University, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Jeffrey Hale Hospital, the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital in Montreal and the Pollack Cultural Centre at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Westmount, Quebec.
As part of his legacy, two Maurice Pollack Awards are given out each year – one in the “public and para-public corporations or organizations” and the other in the “private sector enterprises or organizations” category. The award recognizes individuals for 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.
