Sam Katz - Life Before Mayorship

Life Before Mayorship

Katz emigrated to Winnipeg in November 1951 as an infant with his parents, Chaim and Zena Katz, and his older brother David and was raised in North Winnipeg. Shortly after graduating in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics from the University of Manitoba, he opened a retail clothing store in Brandon, Manitoba. Throughout his career he continued his entrepreneurial ventures in real estate and entertainment. His entertainment company, Showtime Productions Inc., brought artists such as Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney, and musicals such as Evita, Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera to Winnipeg.

In 1994, he brought professional baseball back to Winnipeg with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, who now play in the American Association. Through this franchise, he arranged for the construction and success of Shaw Park in 1999. Katz was also founder of the Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams Foundation, an organization that has donated more than a $900,000 to children's charities and non-profit organizations in Manitoba.