Why I Give
Philanthropy is just part of family life for Ed and Fran Sonshine
Ed and Fran Sonshine want their city to be as good as it possibly can be.
Ed Sonshine went to school with kids who lived in local housing complexes, then referred to as ‘the projects’. “I don’t remember there being any ‘bad areas’ of the city back then,” says Ed. “People just had more money or less money than other people.” His family lived modestly, with one car and a bungalow that was later expropriated for the Allen Expressway. As befits life’s ironies, Ed went on to a career in real estate and, brick-by-brick, built RioCan REIT, now one of Canada’s largest retail landlords.
Both children of Holocaust survivors, Ed and his wife Fran Sonshine recognize how fortunate they are. A former teacher, Fran is the immediate past chair of the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, a United Way agency. She has also chaired the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Women’s Campaign and has served on a wide variety of philanthropic boards and committees. Ed is a member of the United Way Major Individual Giving Cabinet and is a past chair of the Real Estate Section of the Campaign Cabinet. He also chairs the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation board and is a former chair of the UJA Campaign. The couple is a generous supporter of United Way, and the workplace campaign at RioCan is always a success.
Fiercely proud of their three children and five grandchildren, the Sonshines are clear that family is their first priority. But far from seeing these interests as competing, they see philanthropy as a part of their family life. “We want to show our kids the importance of giving back to the community, and besides, keeping this city and its services as good as it can be directly benefits our children and grandchildren.”
“We know that United Way does a fine job of evaluating need and seeing to it that money gets to where it has to go,” says Ed. “That’s what’s going to keep Toronto a great city.”