Ronald V. Joyce
Philanthropist, Joyce Family Foundation
Distinguished Fellow (Posthumous)
Ronald V. Joyce is known as one of Canada’s most iconic entrepreneurs and philanthropists. As a 16-year old looking for work and excitement in the big city, Ron came to Hamilton, Ontario where he served as a police officer and then a wireless operator in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Korean War. In 1967, he invested in the first Tim Hortons donut shop and transformed the business into one of the most successful food service chains in the world.
Through the Joyce Family Foundation, Ron created a $1.5 million tuition bursary award at Mohawk to support students facing financial difficulty. Then in 2016, the Foundation contributed $5 million towards a state-of-the-art building, The Joyce Centre for Partnership and Innovation, which is Hamilton’s first and Canada’s largest zero carbon institutional building.
Ron has received numerous awards and honors for his entrepreneurial success and unwavering philanthropic work: The Order of Canada honouring his dedication to underprivileged children and youth, the Canadian Business Hall of Fame, Entrepreneur of the Year for Ontario and Canada, the Gary Wright Humanitarian Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the betterment of community life, the Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Award, and several awards as Philanthropist of the Year.