Alma Ricard facts for kids

Alma Ricard (born October 4, 1906 – died June 2, 2003) was a Canadian businesswoman and a very generous person who gave a lot of money to good causes. She worked with her husband, F. Baxter Ricard, in their broadcasting companies, which included Northern Cable. After her husband passed away in 1993, Alma became a major donor to schools and hospitals.

Early Life and Business

Alma Vézina was born in Montreal. In 1931, she moved to Sudbury to work as a secretary at a hardware store. This store was owned by Félix Ricard, the father of Baxter Ricard. Alma later married Baxter.

The couple eventually took over the hardware store. Then, they started a new adventure in broadcasting. They launched their first radio station, CHNO, in 1947. Their broadcasting business grew over the years. It included another radio station, CFBR, by 1957. In the early 1970s, they added Northern Cable, a cable television company. By 1980, they also owned CJMX-FM and the MCTV television system.

Alma Ricard was also involved in her community. She served on Sudbury's city planning committee. She was also on the board of directors for the Sudbury General Hospital.

Helping Others: Philanthropy

Starting in 1990, the Ricards began selling their broadcasting companies. They sold their TV stations to Baton Broadcasting and their radio stations to Pelmorex. Alma and Baxter Ricard did not have children. So, they decided to create a special fund to help others. This fund was officially started after Baxter's death and was named the Fondation Baxter & Alma Ricard.

Many organizations benefited from their generosity. These included Cambrian College and Laurentian University. The Sudbury General Hospital also received a donation. This money was meant to buy an MRI machine.

Alma Ricard also gave $1 million to St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. This money helped study how poverty in cities affects people's health. In 1998, the hospital created a special position called the Baxter and Alma Ricard Chair in Inner City Health.

In 1998, Alma made her biggest gift. She donated $23 million to create a fellowship fund. This fund helps French Canadian students who are studying at university for their advanced degrees. This important fund is still helping students today.

In 1999, she also helped fund a research position at the University of Toronto. This position focuses on brain surgery research.

Special Awards and Honours

Alma Ricard received many special awards for her contributions. In 1997, Laurentian University gave her an honorary doctorate degree. She later received another honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa.

In 1999, she was recognized by the Order of La Pléiade.

In 2000, Alma Ricard was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest honours. She received it for her amazing charitable work and her long history of helping her community. Because Alma was not well enough to travel to Ottawa for the ceremony, the Governor General, Adrienne Clarkson, personally visited Sudbury in 2002 to give Alma the award.

Passing Away

Alma Ricard passed away on June 2, 2003, in Sudbury. She was 96 years old. Her funeral was held at the Sainte-Anne-des-Pins church in the city. Important people attended her funeral, including businessman Paul Desmarais and former Governor General Roméo LeBlanc.