Paul of Paul’s Hauling named to Order of Canada
OTTAWA-Winnipeg’s Paul Albrechsten has been invited to join the Order of Canada. His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, made the announcement Friday, June 30. Albrechsten was among 99 new appointments and the news comes one year after Albrechsten was named to the Order of Manitoba.
The fleet president and CEO immigrated from Denmark at the age of 24, with just $50 in his pocket and began working for 90 cents an hour as a field mechanic in Virden, Manitoba. He lived in tool sheds to save enough money to buy two trucks in two years, and founded Paul’s Hauling in 1956.
Albrechtsen is widely recognized for his philanthropic work. Last year, Albrechtsen donated $4 million to the Riverview Health Centre Foundation for the creation of a new, 60-bed state-of-the-art Alzheimer Centre of Excellence. A year earlier, the Paul Albrechtsen Foundation donated $5 million to support cardiac research at the St. Boniface Hospital Research Center – which, combined with $2 million in previous donations, made him the largest donor in the hospital’s history. He received care at the hospital after a heart attack, and the center now bears his family name.
His foundation has also supported the Reh-Fit Center, St. Paul’s High School, Assiniboine Park Conservancy, and the Health Sciences Center.
“I’ve always thought it is better to give with a warm hand, and it brings me joy to know that in supporting places like St-Boniface Hospital, what is given today will make a difference tomorrow,” he says on the hospital’s website.
The site also has Albrechtsen citing an old Chinese proverb: “If you want to be profitable for one year, grow grain. If you want to be profitable for 10 years, grow trees. If you want to be profitable for a lifetime, grow people.”
Albrechsten joins an impressive pantheon of truckers named to the Order of Canada. In 1999, Trimac founder the late Bud McCaig was named. In 2008, the honor went to Manitoulin Transport Founder Doug Smith; in 2013, Joe Shannon of Seaboard Transport Group was named and earlier this year, Armour Transport founder Wes Armour joined the prestigious group.
Over the years, Paul’s has grown and contracted and grown again and is currently on the Today’s Trucking Top 100 list with about 275 employees.
Have your say
This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.
Mr. Albertson was a great individual to work with. One of his sons continues this excellent in Brandon. Well deserving individual of the award.