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On his 90th birthday, B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison says he still loves going to work every day

Oct 1, 2018 | 3:16 PM

VANCOUVER — Ninety years ago today, Jimmy Pattison, one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs, was born in Saskatchewan.

He was still young when his family moved to Vancouver where he has resided ever since.

WATCH: Global’s Linda Aylesworth chats with Jimmy Pattison (Video Credit: Global BC)

His company, The Jim Pattison Group, is the second largest privately held company in Canada.

The company has 45,000 employees and last year had $10 billion in revenue.

“I have fun going to work every day,” Pattison said. “Everybody’s different, I prefer going to work. I like what I do and so I just keep doing it.”

That work ethic has been with him his entire life.

“I started working when I was seven years old, selling garden seeds,” he said.

Growing up during the Great Depression, Pattison’s family struggled to make ends meet.

“I had the best parents you could ever get, but the only thing we didn’t have was money,” he said.

In the last year, he has committed more than $100 million to hospitals in Vancouver and Saskatoon.

“I was always brought up to give up 10 per cent of what I made, and I always have,” he said.

(Note: CFJC Today is part of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.)