Throughout his remarkable career, Prem Watsa, founder, chairman and CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings, has assiduously avoided the media spotlight.

But in David Thomas’s recently published book, The Fairfax Way: Inside Prem Watsa’s Secret to Lasting Success, Watsa shares—in a way he never has before—his experiences, insights and the philosophies that drove Fairfax to become a global powerhouse.

And there is a lot to share. Here, in the first of two articles in Canadian Family Offices, Thomas highlights Watsa’s thinking on “compassionate capitalism” and the right way to give back, as well as the importance of people and patience to his investing style.

It was our most popular article of the week. 

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These industrial sites that are 50,000 square feet or less are quietly powering the economy

Institutional and high-net-worth investors and family offices looking for opportunities in Canada’s industrial real estate market might want to keep in mind a simple idea: small is beautiful.

In Canada’s vast industrial market, large-scale buildings such as manufacturing, distribution centres and logistics hubs tend to get the most attention. But the economy is quietly being powered by businesses lodged in Small Bay industrial sites—generally 50,000 square feet or less.

This article is brought to you by Fiera Real Estate.

The Canadian foundation landscape is younger and more fluid than many people think, writes James Dunne 

Canadian Family Offices' second annual philanthropy survey asked donors, foundations and advisors about the “where” and “how” of giving