As we enter a brand-New Year, it is refreshing to read more about the kindness that is happening in our world amidst the terrible strife. Our City Tonight TV sat down at Sandbar Seafood Restaurant with Creekhouse Industries Ltd. general manager, David McCann, well-known philanthropist in our city. David has helped and spearheaded many community charities and is leaving a legacy of goodness. We wanted to find out a little bit more about this wonderful man and the many projects that he is involved with and specifically to find out more about his newest initiative that is called Granville Island Cares for Kids.

OCT: David, you have spent a lot of time working on projects that involve giving back. We have enjoyed showcasing your Random Acts of Kindness series on our TV show over the three past years. Can you share a little bit about the newest and very important initiative that will have a huge impact on the children of British Columbia?

DM: Certainly. First though, I’m going to share a little bit of the history of Creekhouse to give you an idea about the people behind my partnerships. Fifty years ago, Mitch Taylor, Garry Anderson, and a number of other folks came down to Granville Island’s industrial wasteland and they bought out the lease for Monsanto Chemicals and General Paints. The building that Sandbar Seafood Restaurant is in, used to be the site for General Paints. 

These gentlemen began the redevelopment of Granville Island and in 1973 the Creekhouse development opened. We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Creekhouse this year and rather than have a party, they decided what they wanted to do was raise $1 million dollars to feed hungry kids. This fundraiser began on Nov. 22, 2023, and to date have raised $220,000.

We have the Vancouver School Board involved as well as, The Vancouver Sun on board with their Adopt a School program, and A Loving Spoonful is involved to provide thousands of frozen meals. We have raised enough money already to basically buy over 20,000 frozen nutritious, well-balanced meals for kids.

I just can’t believe how generous people are. We started this campaign with a dinner at the Teahouse in Stanley Park, and I have participated in five events with the Vancouver Men’s Chorus. We have planned events at several schools around Vancouver, in Sechelt, Terrace, and Smithers…there is a pub on Davie Street, The Fountainhead, that has stated that we can use their space anytime. There has been so much generosity. 

OCT: The reason for this initiative is the fact that so many children living here in British Columbia go to school hungry. Not only do these children struggle in poverty, but they do not receive enough food to properly learn in school. And many of them even if they are receiving a meal in school they go home at night and are not able to eat again until the next day at school. The reality is that they may also not be getting enough food over the weekend. 

Your ‘Granville Island Cares for Kids’ initiative wants to be a solution for this growing problem. You seem to have a knack for raising money, and the word has spread that you, will definitely make donations count and the money raised will go to where it is needed the most and will do the most good. An excellent example of this is the high-quality art prints you received as donations. Can you explain this arrangement?

DM: Barry Mowatt, who used to own Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, called me up one day to say he had three huge filing cabinets full of beautiful stone lithographs, he also had 14,000 art books and thousands of other prints. He explained “I’m just getting ready to retire and I need to dispose of all of this and if you want it, it’s free to you.” All he asked is that I make a difference in the world with no other conditions. I have been able to partner with some pretty incredible people who have helped me essentially give this valuable art away and at the same time raise money for some incredible charitable causes.

OCT: We understand, people are offering you so much stuff which can be put to good use, which has extended across the country, including three museums in the Maritimes. 

DM: A friend of a shareholder of Creekhouse, who started the Maritime Market, had an amazing fly fishing, model ship and model train collection and when he retired he packed it all up and moved it to his home on Vancouver Island and it sat there in a barn collecting dust. When the man—John Keith King—passed, his family asked me if I could dispose of the collection. I found two museums, the McAdam Railway Station and the Atlantic Salmon Museum, both in New Brunswick.

I was in Mexico and was looking for a location for the model ship collection, and there was guy sitting next to us from Newfoundland, and we got to talking about what I was doing with my philanthropic work in Vancouver. This guy just very casually said, “I’ll take it!” He picked up the phone and called the premier of that province and asked him if there was a town that could put up a maritime museum. In less than five minutes he had an agreement with the premier. That became the Marystown Model Ship Gallery, which has created jobs, an educational program throughout the peninsula and it’s become a great attraction for that community. 

OCT: Let’s finish up with information as to where people can donate and assist with your latest endeavour, Granville Island Cares for Kids.

DM: People can go to alovingspoonful.org/way-to-give/donate