Government of Canada honours National Historic Significance of forestry leader Leon Joseph Koerner
News release
Koerner raised standards for environmental sustainability and labour conditions, later becoming a philanthropist
May 14, 2018 Vancouver, BC Parks Canada Agency
In 1938, Leon Joseph Koerner left behind a successful forestry business to escape Nazi-persecution in Czechoslovakia. One of only 5,000 Jews allowed to immigrate to Canada between 1933 and 1945, he created a legacy in conservation, workplace safety and philanthropy in BC.
Today, Joyce Murray, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra, commemorated Leon Joseph Koerner as a Person of National Historic Significance on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna.
The event was held at the University of British Columbia’s Thea Koerner House, a campus centre made possible by donations from Leon Joseph Koerner in memory of his wife. After retiring, the couple gave away much of their wealth to improving arts, education and social conditions on the West Coast.
Leon Joseph Koerner’s success in Canada began in 1939 by investing in an overlooked tree: hemlock. Rebranding it as Alaska Pine, Koerner used European wood drying methods to make hemlock commercially viable. As Koerner became one of the leading figures in BC’s forest industry, he advocated for greater conservation practices such as reforestation and sustainable logging. He also significantly improved workplace safety standards for forestry workers, and ensured his workers were offered an unprecedented range of employee benefits.
The Government of Canada is committed to connecting Canadians to the significant people, places and events that contributed to our country’s diverse heritage. The commemoration process is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,000 designations have been made.
The Government of Canada is celebrating families with free admission for youth 17 and under, and free admission for one-year for new Canadian citizens, starting in 2018 and beyond. We invite Canadians to learn more about our history - from lighthouses to battlefields, historic neighbourhoods to Indigenous contributions to Canada, there is an amazing array of places and stories to discover.
Quotes
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I am pleased to commemorate the national historic significance of Leon Joseph Koerner. His commitment to philanthropy, conservation, and safe workplaces made BC a better place to live and work. I encourage all Canadians to learn more about Leon Joseph Koerner and his contributions to Canada’s rich forestry heritage.”
Joyce Murray
Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra
Quick facts
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Leon Joseph Koerner made significant contributions to BC’s growing economy. Within 12 years of starting his forestry business, his company’s workforce increased by more than a hundredfold from 44 workers to nearly 5,000.
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Leon Joseph Koerner and his wife Thea were the first immigrants to create a charitable foundation in BC. Their foundation made numerous donations to the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University. Their contributions funded, among other projects, the construction of the UBC faculty club and the building of a campus centre for UBC graduate students named in Thea’s honour.
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National historic designations commemorate all aspects of Canada's history, both positive and negative. Designations can recall moments of greatness and triumph or cause us to contemplate the complex and challenging moments that helped define Canada today. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster better understanding and open discussions on Canada’s history.
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Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national historic significance of places, people and events that have marked Canada’s history.
Associated links
Contacts
Caroline Thériault
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
819-938-3813
caroline.theriault2@canada.ca
Media Relations
Parks Canada Agency
855-862-1812
pc.media@pc.gc.ca