“One of the more interesting aspects of what I do is I will often talk to my clients about something that’s called planned giving, which is essentially using the tool of a life insurance policy to provide funds for an institution, a not for profit institution, in the name of a family or in the name of an individual, but driven by that person’s belief in the organization that they’re supporting, regardless of the ethnicity.

It is the importance that, again, the Montrealer recognizes in making sure that there’s continuity, make sure that there’s always a place, that there’s always a hospital, that there’s always a senior citizens home bed, that there’s always a place for the blind to be able to be properly taken care of and coached. These are things that are really interesting in Montreal, because although it’s prevalent in Canada, the Montrealer gives it heart. And it’s not done so that someone’s name can be on a pavilion, it’s done ’cause people really wanna do it.

And there are certain structures that have to be set up naturally, you need to work with the right professionals in order to properly position it. But at the end of the day, planned giving is about making sure that the things that help us evolve as a society are still there, and it is usually part of an overall financial plan, but it’s a huge part of planning and the continuity of our city.”

Victor Levee recently filmed this video with Make It Montreal, a storytelling platform geared towards Montreal’s business community and produced by local content strategy house Cat Around Films. The full set of clips can be found on Make It Montreal’s YouTube channel.