Edmonton-based developer Jerry Naqvi is joining the Order of Canada. The founder and chair of Cameron Corporation, a builder, owner and manager of retail, industrial, office and mixed-use projects, is among 64 new members Governor General Mary Simon has announced ahead of Canada Day 2024.
“The Order of Canada recognizes individuals who have made positive and lasting impacts on communities here in Canada or who have brought honour to our country abroad,” she affirms.
The Order of Canada is one of the highest national honours that can be awarded to civilians. Established in 1967, its motto is DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM, which translates to: They desire a better country.
The citation accompanying Naqvi’s appointment commends him as “a well-respected business and community leader in Edmonton” and “a long-standing supporter of many community and non-profit organizations supporting education, newcomers to Canada, interfaith dialogue, and individuals living with autism”. He will be formally invested into the Order in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa later this year.
Naqvi arrived in Canada 60 years ago as an engineering student from Pakistan, launched his development career with the 1970s-era firm, Allarco Developments, and established the forerunner to Cameron Corporation in 1979. Today, his 45-year-old family business ranks as one of Alberta’s most active development companies with 29 projects now in the works.
“Jerry Naqvi and the Naqvi Family have been humbly building this city and giving back in many ways for decades,” says Lisa Baroldi, president and chief executive officer of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Edmonton. “Jerry is a legend in the commercial real estate industry, and in Edmonton. He has generously mentored countless people and gives his time, wisdom and boundless energy to better this city and country that he loves.”
Naqvi is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Appraisal Institute of Canada, the Industrial Developers Association of Canada and the Alberta Real Estate Institute. He has also served, as a volunteer, on numerous committees and boards of directors, including the University of Alberta, the Glenrose Hospital Foundation, the Interfaith Dialogue Committee and Society for Development in Third World Countries. In 2022, he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II platinum jubilee medal, recognizing his significant contribution to the province of Alberta.
