The Top 7 Over 70™ organization started in 2017 in Calgary. A gala celebrating a new group of Top 7 Over 70 award recipients occurs every two years. The next gala will occur in the fall of 2027.
The most recent gala occurred on Oct. 21, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. To see photos from the event, click here. You’ll be able to download and print whatever photos you like from the unforgettable evening. Here’s one photo of our 2025 Top 7 Over 70 recipients from the event. Back row: Dr. Marvin Fritzler, Esmail Bharwani, Lois Mitchell (recipient of the Special Recognition Award), Jackie Bromley, Alf Fischer and Gerry Darichuk; front row: Neil Webber and Ron Freckleton.
- Recipients of the 2025 Top 7 Over 70 awards in Calgary were announced on Aug. 18, 2025. See the following post.
THE 2025 TOP 7 OVER 70 RECIPIENTS IN CALGARY
With Canada’s population continuing to age, it’s more crucial than ever to highlight how older adults are making huge contributions in our community. Right now, almost one-fifth of all Canadians (18.9%) are 65 and older. By 2030, that number will sit at 21.4% to 23.4% of the entire population! That’s why it’s vital to inspire seniors to continue to share their expertise and experience, and to celebrate those who are doing just that, such as the 2025 list of Top 7 Over 70™ recipients in Calgary revealed on Sept. 18!
“There’s no shortage of older adults who significantly improve our city every day,” says Steve Allan, the chair of the Top 7 Over 70 executive committee in Calgary. “They are making contributions in the worlds of business, education, science, social enterprises, arts and sports. It’s amazing to see the significant accomplishments they are achieving in new ventures started after age 70.”
The new class of Top 7 Over 70 recipients in Calgary was announced Thursday, Sept. 18 at Heritage Park. Each has an incredible story. The recipients are:
- Neil Webber (89): A motivational and visionary educator, Webber founded a university preparatory school that has achieved acclaim across North America. Still serving as its president at age 89, Webber has expanded the school to include a performing arts centre, a science centre, a respected baseball program and the Webber Academy Athletic Park and Indoor Training Facility.
- Jackie Bromley (74): An elder who is a fearless advocate for the Indigenous community, Bromley was a key voice in the response to 113 Pathways to Justice (on MMIWG); she is one of five First Nations grandmothers who formed the Grandmothers’ Wisdom Network to share teachings with younger generations; and she is working on a project to get Blackfoot language into appropriate schools.
- Ron Freckleton (92): An inspirational speaker and fundraiser, Freckleton displays total commitment to raising awareness about dementia and raising money for Alzheimer Calgary and the United Way, having given more than 50 speeches on the topic. He runs an “Adopt-a-Dahlia” program at his residence to raise funds for charities; he’s led other activities at the residence, including a residents’ writing group; and, he authored a book about losing his wife to Alzheimer’s.
- Esmail Bharwani (84): A life-long believer in the power of education and volunteerism, Bharwani has set up a foundation to support a huge number of scholarships at post-secondary institutions for young people from historically under-represented groups, such as single parents, newcomers and Indigenous peoples, with aggregate endowments now reaching a few million dollars. With 110 financial awards given away each year, that number is on the rise; he has already helped more than 500 students.
- Dr. Marvin Fritzler (81): A sought-after medical leader and mentor, Fritzler is at the forefront of research into autoimmune and related autoinflammatory diseases. His work and research have impacted the lives of countless patients, with projects including key research into COVID-19, arthritis in children and lupus.
- Alf Fischer (78): A forward thinker with boundless energy, Fischer helped develop a $600 million rural infrastructure initiative and a province-wide program to accelerate water, power, sewer, roads and communication infrastructure to rural communities. He’s also at the forefront of a project to find uses for bitumen as a component of needed materials, such as asphalt, and in potential renewable energy sources.
- Gerry Darichuk (78): A mentor, motivator and Rotary president, Darichuk helped develop support programs for Ukrainian evacuees; he housed the first evacuees to arrive in Calgary; he collected support and supplies for people in Ukraine; and, he travelled there to deliver medical supplies to front-line troops and help rebuild hospitals. He led Rotary and private fundraising efforts in this regard, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Plus, this year, for only the second time since the biennial Top 7 Over 70 awards were started in 2017, there is a special eighth award: a Special Achievement Award. Meet the Honourable Lois Mitchell — a powerhouse, super senior who has held one of Alberta’s highest offices (lieutenant governor) and achieved a myriad of accomplishments as an older adult, including the recent appointment as the president of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
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- Information on the Top 7 Over 70 sponsors is available. Click here for more details.
CALGARY TOP 7 OVER 70
Executive committee: Jim Gray (founder), Steve Allan (2025 chair), Monica Zurowski (past chair), Catherine Brownlee, Alexandria Cuckow, Brian Felesky, John Fitzsimmons, Sandi Gilbert, Emily Hilman, Marcy Krafft, Walsh Mannas, Cameron McDonald, Linda McNally, Kim McConnell, Hal Walker, and Luanne Whitmarsh.
Past executive members: Elizabeth Carson, Bonnie DuPont, Bev Foy, Cheryl Hamelin, Lindsey Galloway, Phil Levson, Lori Paine, Mary Rozsa de Coquet, and Joanne Toller.
In Calgary, the Top 7 Over 70 is supported by its partner organization — Intergen. When the Top 7 Over 70 project was initiated in Calgary in 2017, its goal was not only to celebrate the remarkable achievements of older individuals undertaking new pursuits. It was also created to promote the talents and expertise of older adults and ensure this great resource wasn’t being left untapped. Thus, InterGen was born.
InterGen is a unique talent development program and matching platform. It helps re-energize our economy by partnering transitioning or retiring individuals with young entrepreneurs, thus creating multigenerational teams that can rapidly scale growth. The founders of young companies have already been matched with experienced Calgarians, producing positive results in areas including networking, board leadership, financing direction and strategic planning. Additionally, an InterGen Fund in the amount of $6 million has been raised to provide investment support for InterGen enterprises which are scaling up. And, this is just the beginning!
To learn more about InterGen, go to intergenconnect.com .
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TOP 7 OVER 70 AWARD RECIPIENTS IN CALGARY AND AREA
The winners of the 2023 Top 7 Over 70 awards in Calgary were (back row) Ron Ghitter, Tom Jackson, John Scott, Mogens Smed, Benno Nigg; (front row) Janice McTighe and Tania Willumsen.
