“One thing that propelled him is his roots. He was a farm kid from a large farm family, and they didn’t grow up with much.”
Aidan Jaager
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Though as an adult he worked for years alongside his father Joseph in the family’s construction and development business, Barry Remai’s favourite memories of his dad are rooted decades earlier.
“That would go back to when I was a little kid and my brother and I would play shinny out on the road in front of our house with the other kids on the block. Joe was a fixture in those games,” Barry said in an interview.
“He would always play goalie. We’d play almost every day in winter. I always remember that because we all had hockey sticks and he got stuck with the goalie stick, and so he had to play goalie. But sometimes he’d make a big rush up the ice.”
As a loving father of three at home, as well as an entrepreneur and philanthropist in the business world, Joseph left an indelible mark on Saskatoon, Barry said. Joseph Remai — a renowned builder and real estate developer for more than six decades — died peacefully in Saskatoon on June 12 at the age of 89.
“I think certainly he gave us the idea of hard work, determination and thoughtfulness and pairing yourself with great partners and employees,” Barry said. “Also, if you want to be successful, he instilled the legacy of giving.
“He realized at one point in his life that he couldn’t take it with him. He decided he wanted to see some of his money put to great use. He wanted to do it during his lifetime, and wanted to be involved in the process. That has certainly had a lasting impact on myself and our family being a witness to all that.”
Joseph Remai was born April 21, 1936 near Leroy, the 10th of 11 children of Steve and Rosalia Remai, who immigrated from Hungary to farm.
He completed his high school diploma at Regina College and earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. Joseph Remai started his construction career in the early 1960s when he and brother Frank co-founded Remai Construction, going on to build seemingly countless schools, hospitals and residences.
Barry joined his father at the Remai Group in 1994 as vice president, focusing on building hotels and developing senior residences across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
“For anyone who’s been in a family business, it is an interesting dynamic,” Barry said. “But what’s so great is the tremendous mentorship that you can get from your father.
“He knows that I’m committed to the business, and so there’s full transparency and we can tell the unvarnished truth about the issues that we are facing. I also think I was exposed to so many different aspects of business at a young age. It was very interesting and challenging. I couldn’t have done it without him guiding me along the way.”
Founding the Joseph A. Remai Family Foundation in 2012, he donated tens of millions of dollars to causes and campaigns important to him.
He contributed $12 million to projects across the province supporting health care, education and community development. As well, he made a historic donation of $25 million to Saskatchewan Polytechnic in 2024, resulting in the naming of the Joseph A. Remai Saskatoon campus and the creation of the Joseph A. Remai Legacy Endowment Fund.
He also supported the purchase of medical equipment for local hospitals, and contributed to the establishment of Canada’s Centre for Pandemic Research.
Barry Remai said his father’s passion for building and growing business was due to his upbringing.
“One thing that propelled him is his roots. He was a farm kid from a large farm family, and they didn’t grow up with much,” Barry said.
“I think that motivated Joe to want to be successful. And then the second part is Joe had two older brothers who went into construction and decided to build careers in construction and development. Having watched them and actually worked for them for a while, I think he decided that’s where he wanted to go.”
Joe Remai was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in his 70s, but he remained healthy and active for years, travelling alongside wife Marie. He also survived a serious stroke in 2022 and was able to combat his limitations through humour, Barry said.
Barry said his father “was the most determined person you would ever meet. Setbacks like that would not get him down. He would just rise up to the challenge. When he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he wanted to find out everything he could about Parkinson’s, and he talked to organizations and doctors, and he wanted to inform himself. He embraced the challenge, as opposed to kind of shying away from it.”
Joseph is survived by his children Janice, Barry and Brent; eight grandchildren; as well as siblings, sisters-in-law and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Marie, who he met at a dance at the Manhattan Ballroom in Saskatoon.
