Who travels 6,000 kilometres for a multi-million dollar gift announcement, but also schedules some quality time to re-visit old Montreal haunts like the Snowdon Deli?
Alumnus and donor Gerry Rimer made the journey from his home in Geneva, Switzerland to McGill to make a landmark donation to his alma mater. But before the official announcement, he and members of his family embarked on a special ‘Rimer bus tour’ of the most memorable places of his formative years in Montreal – including the aforementioned deli, West Hill High School and McGill’s downtown campus.
Despite the timeless allure of Snowdon Deli’s smoked meat and Karnatzel, McGill was the undisputed highlight of the tour.
“I have so many vivid memories of this University,” said Gerry, BCom’56. “It was a transformative place and I am very grateful for all the experiences and opportunities that McGill gave me.”
Sixty-five years after graduation, Gerry remains a passionate supporter of McGill, as evidenced by his recent $10-million gift towards the transformation of the 60-year-old Leacock Building into a modern facility. The building renovation will include construction, modernization and new technological infrastructure; work is scheduled for completion in 2027. In recognition of Gerald and his late wife Judie, the building will be known as the Rimer Building upon completion of the renovations. In addition, a complementary $3-million gift from the Rimer family will support the establishment of the Institute for Indigenous Research and Knowledges.
As a young boy growing up in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood of Montreal, Gerry attended West Hill High School, played some basketball and attended the same summer camp in the Laurentians as William Shatner and Leonard Cohen. At McGill, Gerry dove into his business studies as well as inter-collegiate water polo (the late Chancellor Arnold Steinberg was a teammate and friend).
He met and later married a young woman named Judie Reich, BA’62. Although they didn’t attend University at the same time, they each came away with a strong affinity for McGill and the way it changed their lives. They were both inspired by the University’s diverse international community and the opportunity to meet students of different backgrounds.
In that respect, the gift to support the renovation of the Leacock Building is particularly appropriate as the 10-storey structure serves as a crossroads of McGill’s downtown campus, a vibrant meeting place for students and home base for the Faculty of Arts community, and many of its social science and humanities departments.
After graduating from McGill, Gerry went on to a successful career in the financial sector as founder of Index Securities, the predecessor firm to Index Ventures, which his sons and their partners developed into a leading international venture capital firm.
Over the years, he has remained a constant supporter of McGill. In 2012, he established the Judie Rimer Entrance Scholarship in honour of his late wife and, in 2017, he made a generous gift to the Desautels Faculty of Management to support renovations to the Faculty’s Armstrong Building.
Along with Gerry’s gift, a $3-million donation from the Rimer family will build the foundation for a future Institute for Indigenous Research and Knowledges (IIRK) at McGill, to be located in the heart of the Faculty of Arts in the new Rimer Building.
The IIRK solidifies McGillʻs commitment to an Indigenous Studies major and will include a first of its kind Indigenous Knowledges and Language Revitalization Lab that will support Indigenous students, faculty and community members in order to help preserve and grow Indigenous language and cultural knowledge. In addition to the lab, plans for the future Institute also include artist, writer and elder-in-residence programs, and vital space for Indigenous-led gatherings, events and symposia, among other initiatives.
Before making the donation, the Rimer family was careful to consult with Indigenous scholars at different universities, which eventually led to an introduction to McGill’s Noelani Arista, Associate Professor, History and Classical Studies, and Director of Indigenous Studies. Those conversations focused on research in Indigenous languages and the revitalization of Indigenous knowledges, the core elements of the IIRK.
“We wanted to contribute to a future-oriented initiative and the idea of supporting the work of the IIRK is an exciting prospect,” said David Rimer, one of Gerry’s sons. “It’s an honour for us to be involved.”
Gerry himself has no doubts about the value of McGill in today’s world as an affordable and accessible public university, open to students from around the globe and fully deserving of alumni recognition and support.
“I’m incredibly proud to be a McGill graduate,” said Gerry. “Our family is delighted to have this opportunity to play a role in building its future.”
Watch video highlights from the announcement of the Rimer family's $13 million in gifts to McGill.