Saskatoon philanthropist Les Dubé dead at age 91

A well-known local philanthropist has died.

Leslie Dubé passed away Wednesday at the age of 91.

Dubé, who was born in Wynyard in 1933, founded the Concorde Group of Companies in Saskatoon. Beginning with a fruit and vegetable distribution company, his business ventures quickly expanded and diversified widely.

He and his wife Irene were well known for their many philanthropic contributions. They made innumerable gifts to hospitals, food banks and charities around the community, even establishing their own charity, the Leslie & Irene Dubé Foundation Inc.

The Dubés’ son, David, said the loss of Les was tremendous for the family, but also for the community.

“He was a titan of industry and business, but I think he’ll be better known for his compassionate embrace of his fellow human,” David said Thursday. “(He) and my mother have always believed in sharing their material gains, but he was inspired even more by wanting our city to be better, our province to be better (and) our country to be better.”

Thanks to major donations over the years, the Leslie and Irene Dubé Urology Centre of Health at St. Paul’s Hospital bears their name, as does the Irene & Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health, a 71-bed facility that opened its doors in 2010.

Their donations to Royal University Hospital added up to nearly $8 million over the years, and the hospital’s foundation said those funds have been “instrumental in advancing patient care excellence and innovation” at the teaching hospital.

“We truly want to leave the world better than when we came in,” Les Dubé said in a recent newsletter released by the Royal University Hospital Foundation.

Dubé established million-dollar endowed funds to support The Lighthouse, mental health family support, elder care, disaster and emergency response, efforts to end world hunger, and more. He also served on a number of boards, and was a strong supporter of both the Saskatoon Food Bank and the Friendship Inn.

“He was passionately devoted to leaving the world a little better,” David said, “and when he passed, I think we can give him a pretty good grade on that.”

In 2008, both Les and Irene received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, the province’s highest honour.

In a release from the Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation, Dubé explained that he always felt a responsibility to give back to the community.

“We believe we’ve been well rewarded in our lives and it’s because of our faith,” he said. “This is why we believe in supporting the community any way that we can. We believe we have a responsibility wherever we see a need to do something to help others.”

A funeral mass is to be held March 22 at Holy Family Parish. David said the service will be open to the community.

David said his father was witty and quick and had lots of great expressions to share that the family will always remember.

“This is a perfect time to say one of the things he taught me, which is: ‘You’re not what you think you are, you’re what your friends think you are,’ ” David said. “I think this community were my father’s friends.”