Canada has a Cranberry King and he just gave away $15 million
Marc Bieler might not wear a crown, but he's been dubbed Canada's cranberry king — and since he almost single-handedly built Quebec's cranberry industry, it seems like a fitting title.
Over the years, Bieler has dabbled in cattle breeding, apple growing, maple syrup production and French vineyards, all of which culminated in the launch of his cranberry growing operation in 1984.
Now, Canada's cranberry king is donating a cool $15 million to his alma mater, McGill University.
The donation will help advance environmental research and scholarship for the entire planet.
#McGill receives $15M gift commitment from agri-food entrepreneur & McGill alumnus Marc Bieler. Landmark philanthropic investment will build resources for McGill’s School of Environment to tackle critical environmental and social issues https://t.co/v5UFDfVReJ pic.twitter.com/7W6ZQs5pfH
— McGill University (@mcgillu) October 14, 2020
Naturally, McGill is pretty excited to receive such a substantial gift; to thank Bieler, the university is even naming the School of Environment after him.
"I would like to thank Marc and Marie Bieler for this exceptional gift and for their continued support of McGill," said Suzanne Fortier, Principal of McGill University.
"With this transformative gift, the Bieler School of Environment will be well positioned to translate new knowledge into solutions that will have a real and lasting impact on our world for generations to come."
With a $15M gift to @mcgillu, Marc Bieler (DipAgr’58, BA’64) aims to help advance environmental research & scholarship for the entire planet to build interdisciplinary teaching, research & experiential learning capacity at the @mcgillmse. @mcgillmaccampus https://t.co/RjhNPH6SdM
— McGill Alumni (@McGillAlumni) October 14, 2020
Bieler Cranberries is Canada's leading cranberry producer, with 1,500 acres in production and an annual harvest of 40 million pounds.
Bieler — who has graduated from McGill twice — has donated regularly to the university since 1964; he credits McGill with playing a "very important role" in his life.
"It gave me my start, and it's where I developed my passion for agriculture, the environment and food," Bieler said in the release.
"I have a strong belief in McGill and I am confident that this investment will propel the School of Environment's important work to new levels of excellence and ultimately motivate others to support its vital work."
McGill University
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