Advancing Communities Through Giving
Dave and his family’s philanthropy expands beyond the Foundation with transformational gifts.
STARS
In 2025, Dave donated $3 million to the Werklund STARS Academy for Critical Care Transport Medicine Education. This outreach education program is available to rural and urban emergency service providers in air medical care, critical care transport, and system access. As part of these efforts, STARS will work to develop and implement an Indigenous Academy training and scholarship program to enhance the critical care services available in Indigenous communities. Once established, funds will be allocated annually toward scholarships for Indigenous Academy participants.
The Werklund Centre
In 2024, Dave and his family donated $75 million to the Werklund Centre (formerly Arts Commons), which is the largest known philanthropic gift to the performing arts sector in Canadian history.
“Principle-centred leadership is at the core of everything I do, in business and in my personal life. Integrity, building trust and being a force for positive change are at the core of who I am. Those are the values that my family aspires to, and that inspired us to make this contribution. Family, yours and mine, is the heart of every community. It is my sincere hope that Werklund Centre will be run with these principles in mind and through its innovative programs be a force for positive change, bringing families across all sectors of our communities together,” says Dave.
The gift supports the construction costs and the creation of the Dave Werklund Education Wing, as well as the establishment of three funds:
- Deanna Werklund Fund, the purpose of which will be to support education programs in the arts;
- Mark Werklund Fund, the purpose of which will be to keep access to the Werklund Centre affordable for marginalized groups and organizations;
- Maxwell Werklund Fund, the purpose of which will be to provide funding for the priority needs pertaining to the administration and operation of Arts Commons.
“I first met Dave through his support of our of education programs and was quickly blown away by his unflappable values, his incredible integrity, and his fierce commitment to building strong and resilient communities by supporting families and the development of young people,” says Werklund Centre President & CEO Alex Sarian.
“Getting to know the Werklund family has been a highlight of my time at Arts Commons, and I’m so incredibly grateful they’ve chosen this project as their love letter to Calgary for generations to come. Today’s announcement aligns strongly with Dave’s and my belief that the world-class opportunities and experiences created at Werklund Centre be relevant, accessible, and impactful to all who are lucky enough to call Calgary and Alberta home. Together, we will proudly build a destination that reflects Dave’s values of humility, honesty, kindness, and love.”
Werklund Exhibition Gallery at the Glenbow Museum
As a passionate supporter of arts and education, it has always been important to Dave to demonstrate his community leadership whenever he can. Dave’s gift of $3.5 million in 2022 to support Glenbow Reimagined is just one way he shares his belief in the future of the arts in our city.
“I am thrilled to see the vision for the newly revised Glenbow come to fruition,” says Dave. “Being part of the new and exciting exhibitions that will be part of Calgary’s vibrant arts and culture scene is so important.”
In recognition of the significant gift to Glenbow Reimagined, the second-floor feature gallery in the renovated building will be named the Werklund Exhibition Gallery. The 11,000 square foot gallery will showcase travelling exhibitions that explore historical and contemporary art, fashion, design and innovation from around the world.
The gift supports the ongoing transformation of Glenbow into a people-centred place that celebrates Calgary’s vibrancy.
The Werklund School of Agriculture Technology at Olds College
In 2016, Dave donated $16 million to The Werklund School of Agriculture Technology at Olds College. The Werklund School of Agriculture Technology is a globally recognized school of knowledge and innovation, focused on technology, hands-on skills development, applied research, industry and international collaboration initiatives.
Through design-based learning, students are encouraged to look at the challenges facing industry and come up with collective solutions through the use of technology. A variety of certificates, diplomas, applied degrees and post-diploma certificates are offered in agriculture, agriculture technology, and land and environment.
The Werklund School of Agriculture Technology is a place to celebrate and emphasize the power of transdisciplinary thought and recognition that agriculture, land, and the environment are intricately woven into every aspect of our lives. They are a leader in purpose-driven learning experiences for our students, and we strive to advance applied science and leadership in systems involving food, agriculture, land, and the environment. They recognize that tomorrow’s jobs and careers will evolve from the opportunities that are being experienced today in our learning environments. The Werklund School of Agriculture Technology provides an ideal environment for the growth and development of well-rounded global citizens who are empowered to overcome global challenges.
Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary
In 2013, Dave donated $25 million to the School of Education at the University of Calgary. The donation was the largest ever received by a faculty of education in Canada. The gift enhances learning opportunities for current and future teachers and ensures the University of Calgary continues to drive change in education across Alberta and beyond.
“In school, I never felt like I was a strong student. Looking back, I see now that I was much more successful in class than I had ever realized. I just needed someone to encourage me to gain my own confidence in my own skills,” says Dave.
“Through the Werklund School of Education, I would like to see teachers given tools to help them truly connect with their students. Teachers have a responsibility as leaders to create an environment and culture where young people feel valued. When it comes to student development and creating this culture of acceptance, I believe the University of Calgary is really making headway.”
The gift enables the Werklund School of Education to provide scholarships for education students and establish a Student Activities Fund to allow undergraduates to attend educational conferences and access graduate-level research.
Faculty members within the Werklund School of Education have access to additional resources to take their educational research to the next level. Thanks to this gift, a new Teaching Innovation Fund was established to provide additional research grants and support outreach activities. There are also additional professional development opportunities for faculty members, and a new Werklund Teaching Excellence Award to recognize the leading work of faculty and inspire future innovations.
University of Calgary President Elizabeth Cannon said, “This unprecedented gift from David Werklund is an absolute game changer for our university as it allows us to provide an enriched experience for education students, faculty and the community that would not be possible otherwise. It will also support cutting-edge research into the best educational methods, helping students of all ability levels learn.”