John Chisholm
May 2013 Honorary Degree Recipient
Doctor of Laws (honoris causa)
Mr. John Chisholm, a businessman and a philanthropist, has shown great dedication to his community and its economic development.
His roots are deeply planted in Antigonish. In 1963, his father established Nova Construction Co. Ltd., and Mr. Chisholm joined the business a year later. Under his direction, it expanded and evolved. Its undertakings have included extensive roadwork, mining and remediation, hydroelectric dam construction, production of granite aggregate for export, and the building of Antigonish Mall.
Mr. Chisholm made a significant donation towards a new building for the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University and co-chaired the fundraising efforts. He served as vice-president, president and a director of the Nova Scotia Road Builders Association.
His contributions have been recognized provincially and nationally. Mr. Chisholm is a recipient of the Mining Society of Nova Scotia Medal and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum’s Selwyn G. Blaylock Medal. The Nova Scotia chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals named him the 2007 recipient of its Outstanding Individual Philanthropist Award. He also holds an honorary degree from St. Francis Xavier University and is an honorary member of the Nova Scotia Road Builders Association.