C.D. Howe Institute Unveils Historic Gift from Business Leader and Philanthropist Donald K. Johnson, O.C.

October 14, 2025– The C.D. Howe Institute is honoured to announce it has received a generous $2 million gift from acclaimed business leader and philanthropist Donald K. Johnson, O.C. With this gift, Mr. Johnson becomes the largest cumulative donor in the C.D. Howe Institute’s history.

The Institute is also pleased to announce that its auditorium at its new Toronto office on the eighth floor of 110 Yonge Street will bear the name the Donald K. Johnson Auditorium.

“Don is a long-time member of the C.D. Howe Institute and a pillar of support for its mission to promote Canadian prosperity,” says William B.P. Robson, President and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute. “His regular participation in discussions at the Institute’s policy events makes his name on our auditorium particularly apt.”

A philanthropic leader and an Officer of the Order of Canada, Mr. Johnson’s contribution will greatly enhance the C.D. Howe Institute’s capacity, supporting Canada’s most influential think tank’s research, events, and engagement with policymakers.

A business leader known for his persistence, Mr. Johnson’s generosity has supported charities across Canada and been instrumental in creating the largest clinical research institute for vision in Canada, the Toronto Western Hospital's Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute. Previously, his support for the C.D. Howe Institute created the Don Johnson fellowship.

“We all share a responsibility to build a better country, and that starts with informed dialogue,” says Mr. Johnson. “There is no better place to be part of conversations about Canada's future than at the C.D. Howe Institute, where leaders and experts converge to turn ideas into action.”

For more information contact: Lauren Malyk, Manager of Communications, C.D. Howe Institute, lmalyk@cdhowe.org

The C.D. Howe Institute is an independent not-for-profit research institute whose mission is to raise living standards by fostering economically sound public policies. Widely considered to be Canada's most influential think tank, the Institute is a trusted source of essential policy intelligence, distinguished by research that is nonpartisan, evidence-based and subject to definitive expert review.