Steve Gupta, a Toronto-area developer, hotel owner and philanthropist, was in Ottawa last week not in his role as a successful businessman but as a voice for philanthropy, joining the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Centre of Ottawa–Carleton as it presented a ceremonial cheque for $1 million to The Ottawa Hospital.

The seven-figure gift, pledged over five years, will support patient care, medical research and innovation at the hospital’s future campus, now under construction.

Gupta is a close friend of Ottawa entrepreneur Anand Aggarwal, a fellow hotel and property owner who serves as president of the spiritual centre’s board. The non-denominational place of worship is located on Hunt Club Road.

Dignitaries at Thursday’s event included India’s high commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik; Canada’s public safety minister, Gary Anandasangaree; Liberal Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi; Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe; The Ottawa Hospital’s president and CEO, Cameron Love; and Tim Kluke, president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, along with chief development officer Jennifer Van Noort.

The mayor publicly thanked the centre’s members, most of whom are Indo-Canadian, calling the donation “a reflection of your community’s values: kindness and service.”

The high commissioner remarked on the Indian community’s deep roots in spirituality and its strong ethos of giving, particularly in the areas of health and education. “It makes me proud to see how all of you have come together to contribute to health care at the hospital,” he said.

From left: Ametha Anandavimalan; The Ottawa Hospital’s president and CEO, Cameron Love; Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe; Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi; India’s high commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik; Canada’s public safety minister, Gary Anandasangaree; Tim Kluke, president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation; Steve Gupta; Anand Aggarwal; Pawan Gupta; Vijay Tejuja; Prem Bhatia; Bas Baskaran and (seated) Chris Singhal.  Photo by Caroline Phillips

The room also heard from Gupta, who embodies the classic rags-to-riches story of immigrant ambition and entrepreneurial success. He arrived in Canada from India in 1971 at age 22, famously carrying just $108 in his pocket.

“We came to Canada with hope, courage and faith,” he said at the podium, speaking about the Indo-Canadian immigrant experience. “We arrived with small suitcases and very little money, but with big dreams.

“Canada opened its doors to us, and we opened our hearts with hard work, honesty and strong family values. We paid our taxes fully and properly, and raised our children, many of whom are now doctors, engineers, CEOs, entrepreneurs, authors and public servants — the backbone of Canada’s future.”

Gupta credited the Indo-Canadian community for building businesses, creating jobs and strengthening communities. “But today, I want to say something important: It is time to do more.

“Canada is not just where we live; it is our home. Let mainstream Canada see clearly that we are not passengers; we are nation builders, contributors and partners in creating a stronger, healthier and more compassionate country.”

Gupta was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2021 and, in 2001, was named Businessman of the Year by the Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

In 2024, he and his family donated $1 million to the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. He and his late wife, Rashmi Gupta, have long invested in philanthropic causes locally and have supported disaster relief, clean water and education projects around the world.

He shared with the room that his wife of 53 years — his “soulmate” — passed away earlier this year, leaving him and his family “devastated.” They are currently building a 120-unit retirement home in her memory.

Gupta encouraged others to support The Ottawa Hospital, calling it a sacred place “where all human beings stand equal, rich or poor.”

He continued: “Tonight, I ask you not as a businessman or a community leader, but as a father, as a husband and as a humble Indo-Canadian: give with your heart, not a calculator. Give in a way that honours your parents, your children and the land that gave us this opportunity.”

From left, Ametha Anandavimalan, Shanthi Baskaran, Pamila Bhatia, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s Jodi Parker and Jennifer Van Noort, Sudha Gupta and Saroj Aggarwal at the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Centre of Ottawa–Carleton during its gift of $1 million to the hospital’s Campaign to Create Tomorrow. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The $1-million gift from the centre coincided with the centennial of the birth of its spiritual leader, Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Cameron Love remarked on how the core teachings of the swami — “Love All, Serve All” and “Help Ever, Hurt Never” — align closely with the hospital’s mission to care for people in moments of illness or injury.

Serving 1.5 million people across the region, including Western Quebec and Nunavut, The Ottawa Hospital provides roughly 70 percent of adult care and employs 17,000 staff.

And while saving lives remains the hospital’s primary focus, it is increasingly shifting from functioning solely as a hospital to creating a fuller health-care system that also supports patients before and after their stay, said Love, citing the development of transitional care units, two new long-term care homes and new medical clinics, and the hiring of more family physicians.

At the cornerstone of the hospital’s plan to reshape health care over the next decade is the new campus. The project is “a game changer,” said Love, describing an innovative, efficient and state-of-the-art facility expected to open within the next four to five years and to benefit the community for generations to come.

To date, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s Campaign to Create Tomorrow has raised more than $360 million toward its historic goal of $500 million.

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Infinity Convention Centre, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, RBC, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law.

hello@carolineinthecapital.ca