There are few Saskatchewan stories of personal achievement more significant than the one written by Saskatoon’s Les Dube who passed away last week at the age of 91.
Dube is best known for his generous nature and legendary philanthropy as he and his wife Irene supported a wide range of causes, primarily in the health sector.
Starting out in the produce department of a grocery store, he got into producing and importing fresh products from the southern U.S. The Dubes got into real estate during the first potash boom, building apartments for construction workers, and then commercial properties and they brought Pizza Hut to the province.
But perhaps his most high-profile gig was the purchase of the St. Louis Blues NHL team with a plan to move it to Saskatoon with partner Bill Hunter.
While the move never happened, he told me in an interview, “I should have completed the deal and left the team there because the city of St. Louis built the team a new arena to ensure they would stay.”
That’s a building he would have ended up owning.
