One of the early leaders in Ontario’s independent power industry, Willis Stewart McLeese passed away on January 5. In 1982, Mr. McLeese initiated the development of a 47 MW biomass fuelled electric generating station in California that provides power to about 50,000 homes. That business grew to include locations in Pennsylvania, Utah and Montana. Along with his son, Rob McLeese, the family has been one of the leading voices for independent power production in Ontario, and prominent members of APPrO for more than twenty years.
Mr. McLeese served in the Navy as an Engineering Officer on a Frigate in the North Atlantic. Following the war, Willis developed an industrial refrigeration business for John Inglis Co., with shops and offices across Canada. In 1957 he became President of Trans Canada Freezers, which grew and by 1979 acquired United States Cold Storage, with 57 plants in Canada and the U.S. He served 26 years as a Director and Officer of International Utilities and chaired the Board’s Audit Committee. When Willis reached the age of 90, another American public company Board changed their bylaws to increase the mandatory retirement age to 117 to facilitate Willis’ continuing involvement.
The consummate entrepreneur, at 85 with his son by his side, Willis dreamed up the vision of Cobble Beach, an extraordinary world class golf resort community on the shores of Georgian Bay, just north of Owen Sound. He was a major supporter of Georgian Riding Association for Challenged Equestrians in Owen Sound. He had a strong passion for student debating. Over the last almost 40 years, he was instrumental in the development of the Canadian Student Debating Federation. Mr. McLeese was 97 years of age.