Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Northland Properties
Bob Gaglardi is a Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist, best known as the Founder and Chairman of Northland Properties Corporation, Canada’s largest privately owned hospitality company. Born in Kamloops, British Columbia, Bob was raised in a family devoted to faith and service. His parents, Phil and Jennie Gaglardi, both Pentecostal ministers, instilled in him the values of integrity, hard work, and generosity that have guided his remarkable life and career.
After earning an engineering degree from LeTourneau University in Texas, Bob founded Northland Properties in 1963 with a five thousand dollar loan. Two years later, he opened the first Sandman Inn in Smithers, British Columbia, beginning a journey that would grow into a global hospitality and entertainment enterprise. Under his leadership, Northland expanded into hotels, restaurants, real estate, and sports, with a portfolio that includes Sandman Hotel Group, The Sutton Place Hotels, Moxies, Denny’s Canada, Chop Steakhouse and Bar, Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar, Portmarnock Resort and Jameson Golf Links, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Grouse Mountain, and the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars.
A dedicated philanthropist, Bob and his family have made significant contributions throughout British Columbia. In 2022, they donated ten million dollars to Thompson Rivers University, leading to the creation of the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics. That same year, they contributed fifteen million dollars to Royal Inland Hospital to establish the Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Tower. In 2017, their twenty-five million dollar gift to Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital Foundation advanced surgical innovation and patient care.
Bob’s generosity reaches far beyond his business achievements. Through Northland, he has supported more than seventy churches, built housing for youth organizations, and developed facilities that strengthen communities and inspire connection. Guided by his belief that people are the foundation of every success, Bob has built Northland Properties into one of Canada’s most respected names in hospitality, construction, and entertainment.