Lorne Charles Webster (September 19, 1928 – December 15, 2004) was a Canadian financier, businessman and philanthropist. He was the chairman and founder of Prenor Group Limited, a conglomerate with over $500 million in assets that had investments in insurance, trust services, investment management and real estate in Canada, the United States and Europe.[1] He was also the co-owner and co-founder of the Montreal Expos.[3][1]

Lorne Charles Webster
Born(1928-09-19)September 19, 1928
DiedDecember 15, 2004(2004-12-15) (aged 76)
EducationLower Canada College[1]
Alma materMcGill University (B.Eng.)[1]
SpouseMeredith Evans[2]

Early life and education

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Webster was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1928 and educated at Lower Canada College and McGill University.[1] He started his career at his family's business, Canadian Import, a petroleum company.[3]

Career

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Webster was a director of Bank of Montreal, Domtar, Murphy Oil, Québecor and Dale-Ross Holdings.[3]

Real Estate

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Webster was a longtime business partner of real estate investor René G. Lépine.[4] In 1969, Webster and Lépine purchased the 140-unit apartment building Tour Horizon at 1212 Pine Avenue in Montreal for $3 million.[4] The same year, they purchased the 181-unit apartment building Le Cartier Tower at 1115 Sherbrooke Street in Montreal from the Montreal Trust Company out of receivership for $6 million.[4] Both buildings had high vacancies and were renovated extensively.[4] In 1971, Lépine and Webster wanted to purchase the Van Horne Mansion, adjacent to Le Cartier, and were planning a $7 million office building development.[4] Lépine purchased the Webster family's shares of Le Cartier Tower in 2005.

Personal life

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His paternal grandfather was Lorne Campbell Webster. His maternal grandfather was Charles Frosst, founder of the company that became Merck Frosst.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Honorary degree citation - Lorne Webster".
  2. ^ "Lorne Charles WEBSTER Obituary (2004) the Globe and Mail". Legacy.com.
  3. ^ a b c Niosi, Jorge. "Webster, Lorne Campbell". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  4. ^ a b c d e "New office tower planned". The Montreal Star. 1971-03-13.