McDonald’s Canada founder George Cohon has died at the age of 86.
His son Mark made the announcement on X, stating that his father passed away on Friday evening.
“Our family, Canada and the world have lost a remarkable man,” he wrote.
Born in Chicago in 1937, the trained lawyer moved to Toronto in 1967, the year the first Canadian McDonald’s restaurant opened in Richmond, British Columbia. The following year, George Cohon opened a branch in London, Ontario.
In 1971, Mr. Cohon led the merger between Western and Eastern Canadian franchisees, creating the first national McDonald’s operation in Canada.
In addition to overseeing the opening of restaurants across the country, George Cohon founded the Canadian branch of Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agen
In 2020 he was awarded the Order of Canada.
His son Mark Cohon was commissioner of the Canadian Football League from 2007 to 2015.