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Eric Lafferty Harvie, 1892-1975, was born and educated in Orillia, Ontario. He studied law at Osgoode Hall in Toronto and at the University of Alberta in Edmonton; graduated in 1914; and was admitted to the bar in 1915. Shortly thereafter he enlisted for military service and served until the end of the First World War. Harvie practised law from 1919 until 1950, starting in the firm Ford, Miller and Harvie, then practising on his own until forming Harvie and Arnold, then Harvie, Arnold and Crawford. He had numerous business interests and formed several companies including Managers Limited, Western Leaseholds, Western Minerals and Western Chemicals. He amassed a considerable fortune, particularly through his activities in the petroleum industry.
In the 1950s he began to return his wealth to Canadians through a variety of charitable foundations including the Glenbow Foundation (which in 1966 became the Glenbow-Alberta Institute), the Harvie Foundation, the Riveredge Foundation, the Ace Foundation and the Devonian Foundation. Harvie served as Director of a wide variety of organizations, including the Southam Company, many financial institutions, oil and gas companies and non-profit organizations. He belonged to a wide variety of associations, organizations and clubs. He was instrumental in founding the Fathers of Confederation Memorial Citizens Foundation and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
During the Second World War, Harvie was Commandant of the Calgary Mounted Constabulary and he was Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel and Honorary Colonel of the Calgary Highlanders from 1948 to 1962. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1968, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary in 1967, was inducted into the Calgary Business Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame in 2013. Eric Harvie School in Calgary was named for him in 2015. Eric Harvie married Dorothy Jean Southam (1895-1988) in 1919 and they had three children - Margaret Joy (Maclaren) (1922-2014), Donald Southam (1924-2001) and Frederick Neil Southam (1929-1999).
For further information see A Gentleman from a Fading Age : Eric Lafferty Harvie / Fred M. Diehl. - Calgary : Devonian Foundation, 1989.