Donor stories

The arts are—by far—the most dynamic sector in Toronto. The new AGO, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the ROM Crystal, the revitalized Gardiner Museum, the Koerner Concert Hall, and the innovative Ontario College of Art & Design have all been built in the last few years. And these are just the buildings! What is taking place inside these centres is every bit as wonderful. I like to back winners and the arts have certainly won my support.

George Fierheller: Over the years, George Fierheller has served on the boards of many arts organizations, including the National Arts Centre, Vancouver Opera, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and Business for the Arts. He has also raised funds for the Four Seasons Centre and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Toronto is a city that has opened up great opportunities for me, both culturally and economically, since I moved here in 1957. That being the case, what could be better than returning to this wonderful city some of what it has given to me? Our ballet, opera, symphony, art galleries, museums, theatres and film centers are an essential part of what makes Toronto a wonderful place in which to live and work. As the Honourable Henry N.R. Jackman stated so eloquently, "It is the arts that nourish the soul". That is why I give!

Donald K. Johnson, C.M.: Donald K. Johnson is the Chairman Emeritus and Director, Business for the Arts (formerly Council for Business and the Arts in Canada). He is also a Senior Financial Executive, philanthropist, and he orchestrated the amendment to the Federal Income Tax Act on gifts of listed securities which benefits charities.

RBC believes in the power of the arts to enrich our lives and enhance our communities. As such, we donate to galleries and museums, theatres and general arts organizations, but our real love is helping those young people who are emerging young stars in their fields. In 2006, the Toronto Arts Foundation approached RBC with a new idea: to hold a luncheon hosting the who's who of the arts in the area to celebrate them and their achievements. The mayor supported the idea, and it’s now part of the Mayor’s Arts Awards Lunch. For us, it’s a wonderful opportunity to provide prize funds to young artists who often represent arts that we do not as yet support directly.

Annette Dukszta, Manager of Donations for RBC Wealth Management and RBC Capital Markets: The RBC Emerging Artist Award is one of several awards handed out in October at the Mayor’s Arts Awards Lunch. RBC created their Emerging Artists Support Project in 1979. Through a variety of grants, 30 different projects help young artists bridge the gap from the academic to the professional world in theatre and musical performance, writing, film-making, glassmaking, playwriting, curatorship, design, and choreography.