A Family of Giving

In 1892, Toronto industrialist Hart Almerrin Massey advertised for suggestions on how best to use his wealth for the greatest good. By his death, he had given away more than $300,000, but it was the charitable gifts set aside in his will that led to the Massey Foundation, the first trust of its kind in Canada.

In 1918, the trustees of Hart Massey’s estate did something remarkable. Tasked with dispersing funds earmarked for the benefit of public institutions and causes, they created a family foundation that would fulfil his wishes in perpetuity.

Hart Massey was born in 1823 on a farm in Upper Canada. Building on the successes of his father, he grew an agricultural company into an international implement giant, Massey-Harris Ltd. By 1886, the Massey factory was the largest in Toronto, employing more than 700 workers.

As his fortunes grew, he initiated and supported a variety of local charitable works, including the Children’s Aid Society, a sanatorium project and industrial training in Toronto schools.

In 1892, he purchased land and hired an architect to design a memorial to his son Charles that would be a gift to the citizens of Toronto — a 3500-seat auditorium for public meetings, conventions and musical entertainment.

For more than a century, Massey Hall has fulfilled that mandate, hosting some of the world’s greatest historical figures, performers and emerging talent. Suffragettes employed the platform to advocate for the right of Canadian women to vote. Enrico Caruso set box office records and used the fire escape to sing an aria to the crowd that couldn't get in. Patrons flocked to see jazz immortals Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, composer George Gershwin, and 13-year-old child prodigy Glenn Gould. Now a designated National Historic Site, the internationally renowned venue remains a revered Canadian cultural institution.

When Hart Massey died in 1896, his family created the Foundation to ensure that his philanthropic spirit lived on. Led by his grandson Vincent, a champion of arts and education who would later be Canada’s Governor General, the trust financed several cultural and educational institutions, including a 1933 renovation of Massey Hall.

An initial signature project was Hart House at University of Toronto, opened in 1919, one of the earliest North American student centres. Hart House Theatre opened the same year, nurturing decades of amateur productions and a fledging national theatre scene.

In 1959, Foundation funds established Massey College, a graduate residence that would provide a vibrant meeting place for students, faculty and visiting scholars. When the Massey Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1847 by Hart’s father, Daniel Massey, the farmer and businessman could have no idea that his family would be recognized as great patrons of the arts.

Yet generations have felt the impact of the Massey family and Foundation thanks to the visionary thinking of Daniel’s kin who have used their means for the greatest good.