Salah Bachir

Salah Bachir, CM (born October 3, 1955) is a Canadian philanthropist, patron of the arts, entrepreneur, magazine publisher and the President of Cineplex Media, which represents 95% of cinema advertising in Canada. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Professional life

Bachir began his career in publishing in 1979 with the launch of his elder brother's company, Videomania, Canada’s first publication targeted to consumers of a new home entertainment format: the video cassette. In 1984, Bachir started a trade publication, Premiere, to serve the needs of the burgeoning video distribution and retail sectors. He also produced an annual trade show, Focus on Video.

In 1999, Bachir launched Famous magazine — soon joined by Famous Québec — a movie/entertainment magazine distributed through the Famous Players movie theatre chain (since purchased by Cineplex Entertainment LP). In 2010 Famous changed its name to Cineplex Magazine and Famous Québec became Le magazine Cineplex. Cineplex Magazine’s circulation is among the highest of any Canadian magazine, with 750,000 copies per month.

In 1999, Bachir also became President of Famous Players Media, a partnership company he formed with Famous Players and Viacom to sell in-theatre advertising. Famous Players Media was bought by Cineplex Entertainment LP as part of its purchase of Famous Players in 2005. Bachir continues to be president of this new division, Cineplex Media.^[1]

Patron of the Arts

Bachir is an avid art collector and enthusiastic patron of mostly Canadian art. His diverse collection of more than 3,000 pieces features many works by Canadian artists such as Betty Goodwin, Stephen Andrews and Attila Richard Lukacs.

In 2014, an extensive show of Bachir's pieces titled "Over the Rainbow" was mounted at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) in Toronto. The exhibition featured such well-known artists as Stephen Andrews, Atilla Richard Lukacs, Betty Goodwin, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Herb Ritts, and examined themes of seduction and identity.^[2]

In a 2013 Toronto Star article, writer Rita Zekas lists many of the artists, Canadian and international, whose works hang in Bachir's Toronto home. "There are more Warhols here than you can shake a tin of Campbell’s soup at. Walls and walls of Warhol Polaroids and lithographs, purchased at auctions and from galleries," she writes. "There’s Ingrid Bergman by Warhol; Mick Jagger by Warhol. Plus Mandela by Herb Ritts; Einstein by Yousuf Karsh; and assorted photography by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Helmut Newton, Bruce Weber, Robert Mapplethorpe and Man Ray." ^[3]

Compared to Cosimo de’ Medici by The Globe and Mail for his role in forging now-famous talent,^[4] Bachir has sponsored four shows of Lukacs’ work, “Attila Richard Lukacs: Works From the Collection of Salah Bachir,” “Attila Richard Lukacs: Detention,” “Attila Richard Lukacs from the Collection of Salah J. Bachir” ^[5] and a joint exhibition of works by Lukacs and Andrews at the University of Toronto’s Hart House.

In 2006, 60 pieces from his Andy Warhol collection were displayed at the Oakville Galleries in the “Wall to Wall Warhol” exhibit;^[6] the same gallery hosted an acclaimed show of Bachir’s Betty Goodwin collection in the spring of 2010.^[7]

Bachir has been a Presenting Sponsor of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre for many years and has been a leading patron of the “We’re Funny That Way” comedy festival since 2005. In his honour, the festival created “The Salah Bachir Award for Community Service,” a cash award presented every year to a person or group who has dedicated themselves to helping the LGBTQ community.

Bachir has provided both financial support and work from his collections to the Art Gallery of Ontario, where a room is named for him in recognition of his contributions to contemporary art, the Oakville Galleries, which has also named a gallery in his honour, the Morris & Helen Belkin Art Gallery at UBC in Vancouver, the Ryerson University Image Centre, which named its New Media Wall in his honour, the University of Toronto’s Hart House and The Art Gallery of York University. He has donated works of art to the National Gallery, the London Regional Gallery, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Rideau Hall and the Canadiana Fund.

He also served as an executive producer of Malcolm Ingram's documentary film Continental.

Philanthropy

Bachir has been a member of numerous boards and committees in support of the arts, the gay community and underprivileged children, including the Canadian Film Centre, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, the Inside Out Film and Video Festival, the Variety Club of Ontario, The Waladi Foundation and The Lebanon Project. He was also a founding member of the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research.

A May 2013 article in The Globe and Mail newspaper referred to Bachir by his nickname "Gala Salah," a reference to the many fundraising galas he's chaired.^[8] Charity events either chaired or co-chaired by Bachir over the past several years include gala fundraisers in support of The 519 Community Centre featuring the talents of Sandra Bernhard, Eartha Kitt, Andrea Martin and Joan Rivers, the 2014 WorldPride Gala and Awards featuring singer k.d. lang,^[9] the 2014 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Gala, the Dare to Wear Love Gala in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, and two events in support of the Art Gallery of Ontario, The Picasso Gala and The Chagall Ball.

Bachir became the honorary patron of The 519 Church Street Community Centre after chairing its successful capital campaign. Under his direction, the campaign raised more than $6-million to expand the facilities at the community centre in Toronto's Church and Wellesley neighbourhood. His fundraising efforts exceeded projections by $2-million. In May 2010 the 519’s new wing was named in Bachir’s honour to recognize him as the driving force behind the effort, as well as his own pledge of $1 million.^[10]

In 2013, Bachir, himself a kidney dialysis patient, recognized the need to upgrade the televisions used by hundreds of dialysis and chemotherapy patients in the renal and oncology units of St. Joseph’s Health Centre and organized his “Non-Gala Gala,” which raised more than $250,000 for the cause. ^[11]

With the entertainment system upgraded, Bachir turned his attention to improving the centre's aging facilities. In February 2015, Bachir hosted "The Salah Bachir Show," which raised $650,000 to help build a new dialysis centre at St. Joseph's, and pay for new equipment. St. Joseph's will soon start work on the Bachir Yerex Family Dialysis Unit, named to honour Bachir for his efforts to contribute, and raise, more than $3-million of the $10-million needed for the new state-of-the-art facility. ^[12]

Salah is also the honorary chair of St. Joseph’s annual Share your Light Festival, for which he donated an installation of lights that cover the side of the hospital and can be enjoyed throughout the holiday season by those travelling Toronto's Gardiner Expressway. ^[13]

Honours

On June 30, 2016, Bachir was named a Member of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston for "his leadership as an entrepreneur and for his commitment to the arts and social justice, notably through Toronto's the 519 community centre." ^[14]

Bachir was named Outstanding Volunteer at the 2015 Philanthropy Awards handed out by the Greater Toronto Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) on November 25, 2015. ^[15]

Bachir has received Honorary Doctorates from three Canadian universities in recognition of his philanthropy and support of Canada's arts communities. First, on June 8, 2015, Bachir was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Ryerson University's Faculty of Communications and Design,^[16] then on June 15, 2015, he was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Laws from York University's School of Arts, Media Performance & Design.^[17] And on June 9, 2016, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Alberta. ^[18]

In April 2014, MOCCA (the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art) honoured Bachir with the MOCCA Award in Contemporary Art 2015 for his work in the field.^[19]

In 2014, Bachir was given the Corporate Leadership Award by Best Buddies, an organization that aims to make schools and communities more inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities. That same year he was the recipient of Out On Bay Street's Leaders to Be Proud Of - Lifetime Achievement Award.^[20] In 2013 he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement INSPIRE Award for his contributions to the LGBTQ community.^[21] In 2012 he was the recipient of the Canadian Centre for Diversity’s Human Relations Award.^[22] And in 2011, Bachir was given an Excellence in Business Award by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.^[23]

He was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Ontario Premiere Dalton McGuinty at the Toronto Pride Gala in 2009. Also in 2009 he was named Honorary Patron For Life by The 519 Community Centre.^[24]

He was honoured by Toronto’s renowned theatre company Famous People Players as its Man of the Year in 2008.^[25]

In 2005 Bachir was selected to be Grand Marshal of the 25th Annual Pride Parade in Toronto and was given an award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts.

In 1996, the Variety Club of Ontario recognized Bachir's leadership in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars through various events by awarding him the Club’s highest individual honour, the Heart Award.^[26] The Club also established an award in Bachir's honour at Variety Village, a sports facility for children with special needs. The Salah Bachir Leadership Award was given to a team member voted by his or her teammates as having made the greatest contribution to the team.

References