Cal Wenzel
Comment: See also WP:ONEEVENT. S0091 (talk) 19:53, 22 September 2026 (UTC)
Cal Wenzel is a Canadian businessman, and philanthropist. He co-founded Shane Homes, a residential homebuilding company in Calgary, Canada, in 1979. Wenzel is chairman and chief visionary officer of the Shane Homes Group of Companies.[1]
Career
Wenzel worked for a modular home company before entering the homebuilding business. After the company closed in 1979, he used carpentry skills he had learned from his father to enter the homebuilding industry.[2]
In 1979, Wenzel and business partner Barry Balsillie founded Shane Homes in Calgary. The company was named after Wenzel's son, Shane.[3] The company completed its first home in 1980 and subsequently expanded its operations in Calgary and surrounding communities.[3]
Wenzel later became chairman and chief visionary officer of the Shane Homes Group of Companies, while his son Shane Wenzel became president and chief executive officer.[4]
Philanthropy
Wenzel and his wife, Edith, have supported charitable and medical organizations through the Cal Wenzel Family Foundation. Their philanthropy has included support for the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine. According to the university, Cal and Edith Wenzel provided $16 million toward precision health initiatives and an additional $4 million to the university's OWN.CANCER campaign.[2] The Cumming School of Medicine's Cal Wenzel Precision Health Building is named for Wenzel.[2]
2013 municipal election controversy
In April 2013, Global News published a secretly recorded video of Wenzel speaking at a meeting of Calgary-area developers and homebuilders held the previous November. In the recording, Wenzel discussed members of Calgary City Council and efforts within the development industry to support candidates considered favourable to the industry's interests in the upcoming 2013 Calgary municipal election.[5]
During the subsequent municipal election campaign, Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi compared Wenzel to the "Godfather" during an October 2013 interview on CBC Radio's Calgary Eyeopener. Wenzel argued that the comparison could lead people to believe that he headed a "Mafia-like organization". Nenshi later defended the remark as fair comment, arguing that it referred to Wenzel's influence in Calgary politics rather than alleging that he was involved in organized crime.[6]
Wenzel filed a defamation lawsuit against Nenshi in November 2013, seeking $5 million in general damages and an additional $1 million in punitive, aggravated and exemplary damages. The lawsuit concerned the "Godfather" comparison and other comments Nenshi made following the release of the secretly recorded video.[7]
The lawsuit was settled out of court in December 2015. In a joint statement, Nenshi stated that he had not intended to suggest that Wenzel was the head of or a participant in a criminal organization or was involved in organized criminal activity. Nenshi retracted and apologized for certain statements and characterizations he had made about Wenzel. Wenzel, in turn, expressed regret for statements that could have been interpreted negatively toward Nenshi and acknowledged concerns about the potential chilling effect of lawsuits against elected officials on political discourse. The remaining terms of the settlement were confidential.[8]
Recognition
Wenzel was inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame – Southern Alberta in 2016.[9] His induction recognized his career in Calgary's homebuilding industry and his philanthropic activities.[10]
Personal life
Wenzel is married to Edith Wenzel. Their son, Shane Wenzel, is president and chief executive officer of the Shane Homes Group of Companies.[2][11]
References
- ↑ "Shane Homes Teams". Shane Homes. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Report to Community 2025 – Cal Wenzel Family Foundation". Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "It's our 40th Anniversary!". Shane Homes. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Shane Homes Teams". Shane Homes. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ Vaessen, Doug; Elliott, Tamara (22 April 2013). "Exclusive: Video obtained by Global News reveals Calgary developer's plan to control city council". Global News. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Nenshi's 'Godfather' defamation defence 'classic,' says legal expert". CBC News. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ Elliott, Tamara (21 November 2013). "Mayor Nenshi served with multi-million dollar lawsuit". Global News. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Nenshi and Wenzel settle defamation suit; mayor apologizes". CityNews Calgary. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedHallOfFame - ↑ "Hall of Fame – Cal Wenzel". Business in Calgary. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Shane Homes Teams". Shane Homes. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
External links
Category:Canadian company founders
Category:Canadian philanthropists
Category:Businesspeople from Calgary
Category:Living people
This article "Cal Wenzel" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Cal Wenzel. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
