Great Moments: Bob Wright’s gift to the sea

When Victoria-based businessman Bob Wright began looking for a way to create a meaningful legacy that would support ocean and climate research, he knew he didn’t need to go far. Wright, the self-described “gumboot fisherman” who founded the Oak Bay Marine Group, had made a life and a living from the ocean and wanted to foster a better understanding of climate change, ocean and atmospheric sciences.

In 2007, UVic President David Turpin met with Wright over lunch at the Oak Bay Marina to discuss building a state-of-the-art science building to support UVic’s world-leading environmental scientists and researchers, and it didn’t take Wright long to make up his mind. “A few weeks later Bob gave me a call,” recalls Turpin. “He said ‘Dave, I’d like to help but I’m not going to give you $10 million. I’m willing to give you $11 million—$10 million for the building and $1 million for student scholarships.’”

It was an historic donation: the largest cash gift in the university’s history. To recognize Bob Wright’s generosity, UVic’s new Centre for Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences was named in his honour.  This marks the largest living gift ever to the University of Victoria.