J.P. Bickell: The Life, the Leafs, and the Legacy

He stayed out of the spotlight, but Leafs fans know J.P. Bickell cast a long shadow.

A self-made mining magnate and the man who kept the Maple Leafs in Toronto and financed Maple Leaf Gardens, J.P. Bickell lived an extraordinary and purposeful life. As one of the most important industrialist [...]
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He stayed out of the spotlight, but Leafs fans know J.P. Bickell cast a long shadow.

A self-made mining magnate and the man who kept the Maple Leafs in Toronto and financed Maple Leaf Gardens, J.P. Bickell lived an extraordinary and purposeful life. As one of the most important industrialists in Canadian history, Bickell left his mark on communities across the nation. He was a cornerstone of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which awards the J.P. Bickell Memorial Award in his honour to recognize outstanding service to the organization. He was also a giant of Canadian industry, and one of C.D. Howe's WWII-era "dollar-a-year" men leading war efforts on the home front.

Though he avoided public attention for much of his life, his story is tied up not only with the Maple Leafs, but with some of the most famous Canadians of his day, including Mitchell Hepburn, Roy Thomson, and Conn Smythe. Through his charitable foundation, he has been a key benefactor of Sick Kids Hospital, and his legacy continues to transform the city of Toronto. Yet, though Bickell was so important both to Toronto and the Maple Leafs, the story his incredible life is today largely obscure. This book sets the record straight, presenting the definitive story of his rise to prominence and his lasting legacy -- on the ice and off.