Wadih Fares – President of W.M. Fares Group.
Wadih came to Halifax as a young man when war was raging in his home of Lebanon in the 1970s. Welcomed by the existing Lebanese community in Nova Scotia, he graduated as an engineer from Dalhousie and TUNS and set out to raise his family.
He has built up a substantial residential and commercial property management and development firm with projects throughout Canada. His Halifax centrepiece is the Trillium one of Halifax’s most luxurious condominium buildings located across from Victoria Park in downtown Halifax.
His company is about removing complexity. Seeing an opportunity in the 1980’s he brought together all the disciplines involved in development projects so clients don’t have to deal with the multiple contractors.
As a Lebanese immigrant, he believes strongly in community, province and country.
He is giving back to his community through a wide range of professional and volunteer roles, including Honorary Consul of Lebanon; Chair of the Pier 21 Society; on the board of the Stanfield International Airport Authority; the Waterfront Development Corporation, the Dalhousie University Board of Governors; and he is the founder and honorary member of the Canadian Lebanese Chamber of Commerce.
Because of his background, he is passionate about immigration. I’ve had the pleasure of providing input to him on the Nova Scotia Minister’s Advisory Panel on Immigration.
He has also been recognized for his many achievements. Among them Atlantic Business Magazine’s top 50 CEO Award and Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He was inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame in 2008. He was recognized with the Golden Jubilee Medal, by the Queen herself, the Order of St. Gregory was presented to him by Pope Benedict XVI and he was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2012.
I sat down with him in his office in west end Halifax during the final week of Lebanese Heritage Month. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Wadih Fares
