Montreal's Bronfman family to receive the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Family Business Award of Excellence

The Bronfmans will be recognized with the Family Business Award of Excellence at the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year gala on 9 November 2017 in Montreal.

"Living in Montreal, it would be hard not to know the Bronfman name," says Daniel Baer, Entrepreneur Of The Year Quebec program co-director. "From the first generation to today, the family has played a key role in helping grow the Montreal, Quebec and Canadian economies. And the family has dedicated just as much to charitable giving as it has to investing in business. Their generosity is unparalleled."

"Selecting Montreal's Bronfman family for this year's award was simple," says Luc Charbonneau, Entrepreneur Of The Year Quebec program co-director. "They've been leading supporters of the Canadian entrepreneurial ecosystem not only through their own family business, but also through their investments in chemicals, real estate, food, technology and entertainment."

It all began with Samuel Bronfman, who started the Distillers Corporation Limited in 1924, which later became the Joseph E. Seagram & Sons Inc. The family built up Seagram's, as it was known, to become one of the largest distillers of alcoholic beverages in the world. Then, second-generation Charles Bronfman started the Claridge Investment Fund, dedicated to searching for and investing in promising ventures in Canada and abroad.

Since day one, philanthropy was a priority for the Bronfman family. In 2012, Charles committed to giving the majority of his wealth to charity by signing the Giving Pledge. Through various philanthropic initiatives, Charles has supported causes aimed at promoting Canadian heritage, Jewish life and education.

In 1968, Charles left an indelible mark on the sports landscape by securing the rights to the first-ever Major League Baseball franchise in Canada, the Montreal Expos. He was the majority owner of the franchise for 23 years. The retro tri-coloured Expos logo remains ever-present on the streets of Montreal and across North America to this day.

Now it's Stephen Bronfman, Charles's son, who continues the multi-generational family's tradition of investing in entrepreneurs and giving back nationally and internationally through the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation. With a strong focus on Montreal, the Foundation prioritizes empowering emerging talent, as well as initiatives dedicated to environment, culture, education, entrepreneurship and Jewish life.

Stephen Bronfman will accept the Family Business Award of Excellence at the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Quebec gala on 9 November 2017.