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Beedie companies and foundations, have
given away more than $145 million to chari-
ties, and the power couple was honoured
in Vancouver magazine's Power 50 list this
year for their philanthropy. Significant con-
tributions include $5 million to Delta Hos-
pital that is earmarked for a long-term care
facility—Ryan sees it as an obligation to give
back to a community in which they have
done a significant amount of work. Cindy,
who serves as executive director of the
Beedie Foundation, is currently spearhead-
ing the multimillion-dollar Cindy Beedie
Place, which will provide mothers in need
with affordable housing and childcare.
There are also the concerts. Ryan was
inspired to create his "own Coachella" after
going to the California festival roughly a
decade ago: Beedie Rocks started with
a 2016 Huey Lewis and the News show
(they had played Ryan's 40th birthday)
and then grew from there. Two years ago,
the fete had Blondie and Bryan Adams as
headliners (he and Adams "really hit it off "
and have become friends, with Ryan visit-
ing the rock star backstage in Vegas this
spring and at his Vancouver studio the day
before this interview). A 2023 bash in Stan-
ley Park raised $2 million for the Greater
Vancouver Food Bank; the organization
will be the beneficiaries of this year's event
as well, with headliners Def Leppard and
Foster the People. "This is the fourth time
we've done this—the pinnacle," he says.
"It's such a standard: how can you beat
Bryan Adams, hometown hero, in Stanley
Park? You kinda can't. But you can try."
Education has become a key donation
pillar. There's the $22 million donation to
SFU to create the Beedie School of Busi-
ness. That endowment, and the apprecia-
tion from students that stemmed from it,
motivated Ryan to double down. For his
50th birthday, he threw down $50 mil-
lion to create the nonprofit society Beedie
Luminaries, a scholarship program to
provide higher education to students fac-
ing financial barriers. Luminaries started
AWARDS SEASON
Ryan Beedie joins the Busi-
ness Laureates of BC Hall
of Fame with Greg Stewart
(representing Bob Stewart)
Gordon Andersen (repre-
senting Ivan Andersen),
Stan Fuller and John Nicola
(top); Ryan with wife Cindy
and kids Grace and Linden
at the JABC induction (this
photo); Ryan receiving the
King Charles III Coronation
Medal (below).
