Accomplished philanthropist and businessman Donald K. Johnson marks milestone
On June 18, Donald K. Johnson — a successful businessman, philanthropist and author — turned 90 years old. After many adventures and pursuits, Johnson continues to visit his hometown of Lundar, where he celebrated the milestone on Aug. 2.
Though he moved to Toronto early in life, Johnson said he thoroughly enjoyed growing up in Lundar, where his parents taught him the value of hard work, community service and education. His mother even sold their house to move to Winnipeg so he could attend the University of Manitoba, where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1957.
“That changed my life,” Johnson said. “Because there were no jobs for an electrical engineer in Manitoba, other than working for the government, I moved to Toronto and worked for Canadian General Electric.”
At General Electric, Johnson joined a program that allowed him to spend two months in each of six different divisions. That experience helped him discover a love for marketing and finance. He later attended Western University, where he earned an MBA in 1963.
Johnson’s philanthropic journey began in 1995 when he joined the board of the National Ballet of Canada, inspired by his wife’s passion for ballet. During a campaign, he learned the art of fundraising and advocacy for the arts.
For 11 years, Johnson lobbied both Liberal and Conservative governments to eliminate the capital gains tax on donations of listed securities. When the policy change finally came in 2006, Canadian charities began receiving more than $1 billion annually in stock donations.
This kind of investment banking, channelled toward public good, remains one of Johnson’s proudest accomplishments.
“My first advice to people choosing a career is to make sure that they really love what they’re doing and enjoy working with people inside the company and the company’s clients,” Johnson said. “My next advice is that they have the discipline to live a healthy lifestyle. If you’re not in good health, you will not be successful.”
Johnson has practised transcendental meditation for more than 50 years, which he credits, along with diet, exercise and rest, for maintaining his health.
“We all live very stressful lives and stress weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to getting sick. Initially, I practised meditation for 20 minutes twice a day, but in the last few years I’ve been practising it four times per day. This has been a key factor for living a healthy lifestyle at the age of 90.”
Along with health, Johnson emphasized the importance of spending time with loved ones. He celebrated his first of two birthday parties in his garden at home with 160 close family members and friends — with Paul Anka providing entertainment.
Over the years, Johnson has also turned to writing to preserve and share his knowledge. His first book, Lessons Learned on Bay Street, reflected on his business experiences.
“Having just turned 90 and having the good fortune of being healthy, both physically and mentally, I decided to write a second book to share with readers the keys to a healthy lifestyle,” Johnson said. The new book is titled Thriving at 90 and Beyond.
“I hope that it will be an inspiration to each of the readers to practise the key factors to a healthy lifestyle.”
Back in Lundar for his hometown celebration, Johnson was surrounded by friends and family once more. He received birthday greetings from Reeve Virgil Johnson of the RM of Coldwell as guests delivered speeches and songs in his honour, making it a memorable return home.
