Jack Poole

John W. "Jack" Poole, OC, OBC (April 14, 1933[1] – October 23, 2009) was a Canadian businessman who, as the head of the VANOC bid committee, was responsible for bringing the 2010 Winter Olympics to Canada.[2]

Jack Poole, circa 2003

He died of pancreatic cancer shortly after midnight on October 23, 2009, hours after the Olympic Flame was lit at the beginning of the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay, in Olympia, Greece.[3][4]

Professional history

Poole graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1954,[5] with a degree in civil engineering. He subsequently entered the field of real estate development (in which position he hired B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, then a teenager, as a labourer; Poole later joked that he had given Campbell "his first job", and that by choosing Poole to chair VANOC, Campbell "gave me my last").[6] Poole co-founded Daon Development Corporation, the second-largest real estate development company in North America until its collapse in the early 1980s recession when it was purchased by Bell Canada Enterprises.[1]

Family

Jack Poole was born on April 13, 1933 in Mortlach, Saskatchewan. He was the youngest child of John (Jack) Vigors Poole and his wife Edith W. Goalen who had one daughter and two sons (Betty, George and Jack). Mr. Poole worked at the grain elevator after his Massey-Harris farm equipment dealership went broke during the Depression and Mrs. Poole was the local postmistress.[7]

Poole was a sixth generation Metis through an 18th century British ancestor who had arrived in Moose Factory on James Bay in 1776 to work for the Hudson's Bay Company and married a Cree woman. After receiving his Aboriginal Achievement Award in 2007, Jack is quoted as saying: "I think I'm six generations removed from the Cree lady, but I have a Métis card, and by definition, in Canada, I'm an aboriginal person. I've always been very proud of this fact—to have Canadian roots that go that far back."[8]

His father John "Jack" Poole was a grain dealer.[1] He is survived by his second wife Darlene, four daughters, a stepson and his extended family. One of his grandsons, Blake Hawksworth, was a Major League Baseball pitcher. His granddaughter Erin Hawksworth is a reporter.[9]

Honours
Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza
Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza

Poole was made a member of the Order of British Columbia in 2003,[10] an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2006,[11] and a member of the Order of the Sash by the Metis Nation British Columbia in March 2007.[12]

To honour his work and achievement for the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics, the former Thurlow Plaza was renamed Jack Poole Plaza in his memory.[13][14] The external cauldron for the games was chosen to be built at the Jack Poole Plaza as well.

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References
  1. Mason, Gary (July 2, 2009). "VANOC Chairman Jack Poole Never Quits". BCB Business Online. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  2. "Concert Properties Bio". Archived from the original on July 30, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  3. "Vancouver Olympic chairman Poole dies". CBC news. October 23, 2009. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  4. "Jack Poole passes away peacefully", vancouver2010.com
  5. College of Engineering: Wall of Distinction Archived March 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine at the University of Saskatchewan
  6. Winning name of his game: Jack Poole has a big challenge to bring Winter Olympics here Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, from The Province, January 27, 2002 (archived at IOCC.ca)
  7. Barkwell, Lawrence. http://www.metismuseum.ca/media/document.php/12003.Jack%20Poole%204.pdf
  8. Barkwell, Lawrence. Op cit.
  9. "Erin Hawksworth" Archived August 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine at MyFoxBoston.com
  10. "Order of British Columbia citation".
  11. "Order of Canada citation".
  12. Barkwell, Lawrence. http://www.metismuseum.ca/media/document.php/12003.Jack%20Poole%204.pdf
  13. VANCOUVER CONVENTION ANDEXHIBITION CENTRE (VCEC) CD-1GUIDELINES - 100 THURLOW STREET
  14. Vancouver Convention Centre | Jack Poole Plaza Archived June 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
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