Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 21, 2013
• Invested on: September 12, 2014

For his engagement in broadening access to higher education for students in Toronto and for his generous support of musicians and arts organizations alike.


William Waters’ life is a testament to the transformative powers of education. A Children’s Aid Society ward who was adopted by a single mother, he overcame economic hurdles to become both a successful businessman and professor emeritus of economics and finance at the University of Toronto. For many years now, his substantial contributions to access-to-education programs at Toronto universities and colleges have made higher learning possible for students whom financial pressures might otherwise overwhelm. An ardent patron of the arts, he has also funded music festivals and individual performers alike.