Colette Murphy, the Chief Executive Officer of the Atkinson Foundation, made these remarks at a retirement reception for Sandy Houston, Chief Executive Officer of the Metcalf Foundation, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at Massey College, University of Toronto.

It’s good to be here with all of you — in this place where “town meets gown” in often surprising ways. Like Massey, the Metcalf Foundation became a place where “community meets philanthropy” thanks to Sandy. These encounters were animated by big questions like: how can we see the world differently and why is a job not a pathway out of poverty? They generated even bigger opportunities and challenges — the kind only a philanthropist who is also a gifted mediator could handle!

The legacy of these questions is in this room tonight. It’s in the stories of those of us who worked to modernize income security programs — with the people who depend on these programs and the people who design them. 

And this legacy reaches beyond this place and beyond that particular generation of activists to those of us who are creating more inclusive local economies, tackling new issues, and even building a new investment vehicle for affordable rental housing today.

I find it remarkable that so many people have remained connected and deeply committed to the messy business of creating a just, healthy and creative society for over twenty years. When Sandy took on day-to-day responsibility for the Metcalf family legacy, little did he know the impact he would have on our lives, this city and Canada.

Because he could see the world differently, so could we. Because he was able to tolerate ambiguity and invest the time necessary to grow trusting relationships, so could we. Because he was not satisfied with charitable solutions to structural injustices, neither were we.

With this vision came risk and responsibility and Sandy didn’t shy away from either.

Metcalf, Atkinson and Maytree were the first foundations to come together to support the Workers’ Action Centre – an anchor of the decent work movement. This big bet has helped deliver a higher minimum wage and other policy wins over two decades.

The 2007 provincial election created an opening to move a broadly-based agenda on poverty reduction. Metcalf worked with Atkinson to convene a small community of practice that grew quickly into a significant network of policy influence. 

Early on, we heard a rumour that Queen’s Park security was preparing for a massive show of popular support on the grounds of the legislature. We wondered who else was planning a rally on the same day as our 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction – and then it dawned on us – the rumour was about us!

Through these experiences, the penny dropped that our community program needed to focus on local economies. People living on low-income never told us they wanted to be less poor; they said they wanted more economic opportunities. Sandy helped create the conditions necessary for Thorncliffe Park and East Scarborough residents to move in this direction. 

It is impossible to look back without looking forward – because that is what Sandy would expect us to do. We’re not ready to let him retire to the country and sit in the shade of all he has planted. But we are ready to accept he won’t be available for that quick debrief after a meeting or a full court press on an issue before a federal budget announcement. We know he has prepared the way for others to step up as he steps back. 

Sandy, we do hope we can call on you when the moment calls for a thoughtful long view or the moment holds a moral quandary. Or perhaps when one of our escapades needs the perspective – and encouragement – of someone who doesn’t think in terms of right or left, big or small tents, and inside or outside games. Someone who believes everyone belongs and can be included. Someone who is ready to do more than their share to make it so.

I have two young BigTooth Aspens to give you, Sandy. They will help you remember the importance and impact of your work. Aspens may look like sole strivers but they are a small part of a much larger organism. These magnificent trees tolerate a wide range of conditions and support many different species. They send us new stems as an old stem dies, making them able to survive fires and help regenerate forests. They remain interconnected through their extensive root systems.

These trees come from a third generation tree seedling grower called Pineneedle Farms in Pontypool, Ontario. There are no leaves yet because they have been in the outdoor greenhouses over the winter.

In Irish folklore, an aspen leaf placed under the tongue is supposed to make the bearer more eloquent – so you can imagine my disappointment when I received these naked trees! But more importantly, the Greek name for aspen is ‘aspis’. It literally means shield.

These trees are a gift to thank you for all the ways you’ve tended the ecosystem that is our world, and all the times you’ve shielded its most vulnerable green shoots from harsh conditions. Thank you for all the lessons you’ve taught by example. And thank you for continuing to play your part in the great, good scheme of things.