Synopses & Reviews
Visionary social entrepreneur David Pecaut's life demonstrates how to make a positive impact on a community.
City builder David Pecaut has been called a visionary and a pragmatist, passionate and compassionate, a bridge builder, a catalyst, and a trailblazer. Though David was a business leader and management consultant, most of these accolades flow from his volunteer work as a civic entrepreneur. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, David chose Toronto as the beneficiary of his formidable enthusiasm.
When Toronto was in the doldrums because of the SARS scare, David helped the city restore its tourism industry by chairing the Toront03 Alliance, launched by a flamboyant Rolling Stones concert. David was perhaps best known for co-founding Luminato, the international festival that each spring showcases the world's finest artists to audiences of over a million.
As chair of the Toronto City Summit Alliance, David worked as easily with the homeless, minorities, and poverty activists as with billionaires, corporate CEOs, and labour leaders to tackle pressing social and economic issues. He was the driving force behind the Career Edge youth internship program, the Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force, the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, DiverseCity, the Emerging Leaders Network, the task force on modernizing income security, and Greening Greater Toronto.
David's efforts to make Toronto the most socially and culturally dynamic urban centre in the world were cut short when he succumbed to cancer in December 2009. When it became obvious that his time was running out, he took copious notes and recorded interviews with friends, colleagues, and family, all of which are the basis for this book, a memoir by his wife Helen Burstyn.
Synopsis
City builder David Pecaut has been called a visionary and a pragmatist, passionate, compassionate, indefatigable, a catalyst, and a trailblazer. Most of these accolades flowed from his volunteer work. He helped Toronto restore its tourism industry post-SARS by chairing Toronto03, launched by a flamboyant Rolling Stones concert. He also co-founded the Luminato arts festival.
Pecaut worked as easily with the homeless, minorities, and poverty activists as with billionaires, corporate CEOs, and labour leaders. His numerous endeavours included the Strong Neighbourhood Task Force, the Pathways to Education program, Career Edge, the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, DiverseCity, and Greening Greater Toronto.
In the natural order of events, David Pecaut would have written his own memoir. When it became obvious that because of cancer his time was running out, he took copious notes and recorded interviews with friends, colleagues, and family, all of which are the basis for this book by Helen Burstyn, his wife. On December 14, 2009, David Pecaut passed away.
Synopsis
David Pecaut effected great change on his adopted city of Toronto. This tireless social and cultural activist and bridge builder had a measureless positive influence on his home. When it became clear that cancer would end his life, Pecaut made notes and conducted interviews that have become the basis for this book by his widow.
About the Author
Helen Burstyn has enjoyed a 30-year career in government, business, and community service. She served as the chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation and president of the Canadian Club of Toronto. She is currently a director of several non-profit organizations, including Luminato, CAMH, TIFF, the Canadian Journalism Foundation, and The Pecaut Centre for Social Impact, an organization she recently co-founded. Helen has four daughters and a granddaughter. She lives in Toronto.
Table of Contents
1.The Mythical Man
2.Mergers, Personal and Professional
3.You Will Meet a Tall, Blonde Stranger
4.Eleven Out of Ten
5.In Harvard Yard
6.Fertilizer, Finance and Fine Arts
7.The Green Polyester Suit
8.Fast Forward
9.SARS ‘03: The Stones Take Downsview
10.Hiring Mr. Softee
11.A Cuisinart With No Off-Switch
12.The Lunch That Launched Five Thousand Dreams
13.Greening Greater Toronto
14.The Absolut David
15.“All You Need Is to Be the One”
16.A Wedding and A Funeral
17.Remembering David
18.The Last Chapter