By Andrew Macdonald
- Scott Brison Remembers David Sobey
Powerbroker, Scott Brison, a former Trudeau cabinet minister and now a banker with BMO has had a close friendship with the recently departed David Sobey, a former CEO of the Sobeys grocery chain.
Brison was a good buddy of David Sobey, who died earlier this week at age 92. Brison was also close to David’s brother, the late Donald Sobey.
The Sobeys clan donated campaign funds when Brison sought both the federal Tory and federal Liberal leadership races.
Brison recalls reading the classic tome on David and Donald’s father, Frank Sobey, written in the mid-1980s by Harry Bruce, when Brison was graduating from high school in 1986.
“My father (late famous stockbroker, Clifford Brison) had given me a copy of the RA book also by Harry Bruce, and David Hennigar gave him a copy. I read that a few years before, written by Harry Bruce.”
RA refers to the biography of RA ‘Roy’ Jodrey, an industrialist and Hennigar was his grandson.
Then a couple of years later author Bruce wrote the Frank Sobey book.
“Both of those books, I would recommend to any young Nova Scotian with any interest in business,” Brison tells The Macdonald Notebook. He also recommends Donald Savoie’s biography of Harrison McCain, a book on John Bragg and Arthur Irving.
“Those success stories are really important,” adds Brison.
While at Dal U, Brison was “a part-time doorman at the Halifax Sheraton in 1985″, when he first met David, Donald and their brother Bill Sobey, who died in 1989.
“Donald Sobey, Bill Sobey and David Sobey came in and out of the Sheraton from time to time. One thing for a kid like me growing up in rural Hants County and attending Hants West Rural High School and in the big city and what felt like having a superb, superb job as a doorman, because I got to meet people,” says Brison.
“You learn a lot about people when you are a doorman, as you would as a waiter, too. How people treat people of no particular importance,” he adds.
“All three of (the Sobeys brothers), I noticed at the time how thoughtful, just how polite and decent they were. And for a kid like me, that meant a lot. That was an impression.”
Over time, “I got to know Donald Sobey very well. He was a lead investor, along with (his son) Sobey Sobey, along with Scott McCain, investors in Seaforth Capital. That was based on over decades of getting to know them and earning their trust,” recalls Brison.
“But, it was about really developing a great relationship and friendship,” says Brison.
“David Sobey was always a fella, whenever I saw him, we always had an interesting chat. He was soft-spoken but he really was interested in politics and government.”
Brison retired from being MP and a cabinet minister in 2019, and then went to Bank of Montreal.
When he retired from politics, David Sobey “sent me one of the most thoughtful letters when I retired from public life. He sent a handwritten note saying nice thanks and thanked me for my public service. I have that letter, it is in my desk in Nova Scotia in my home office and I treasure that letter, I will always keep that,” adds Brison.
“Here is a fella who would have been in his late 80s, who when I retired from public life, who took the time to send me his note. I will always treasure it.”
Brison notes there are now five generations in the Sobey clan. “All of whom are people who are humble, kind, honest in fair dealings with strong values, good people. I think there is something to be said about the ability over multiple generations to have people of good values and commitment to the community. I think a lot of that had to do with David, Donald and Bill (Sobey)”, says Brison.
The three Sobeys brothers were also involved in mega philanthropic efforts in their lifetime.
“If you look at our universities in Nova Scotia, the community colleges and the support they have provided.” The Sobeys were fond of St. Mary’s University particularly.
“They built one of Canada’s most respected companies, without ever losing their commitment to Stellarton, to New Glasgow, to Pictou County and to Nova Scotia.” Sobeys is headquartered in Stellarton, and is the country’s second-largest grocer.
“I just think we are so fortunate to have as Nova Scotians, we could not have a better corporate citizenship in terms of its impact on Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada.”
David Sobey would go into his Sobeys stores to personally check on them, and introduce himself to the staff.
Arthur Irving still does that. “The book on him by Donald Savoie, talks about how Arthur would monitor the (Irving gas stations) – are the bathrooms clean kind of thing,” notes Brison.
“Donald and David Sobey were very sophisticated business people. What they did in terms of (the 1998) acquisition of Oshawa Group/IGA), and the risk they undertook and the development and building of Sobeys into a truly national chain, it is really a wonderful story that should really be taught in high school in Nova Scotia. We should be teaching these success stories about Nova Scotian businesses, entrepreneurs and families.”
Scott Brison (The Notebook image).
