Allan P. Markin is a native Calgarian, and longtime philanthropist. 

Presently Mr. Markin is a major supporter of the Alberta Project Promoting active Living & healthy Eating in Schools (APPLE Schools) program. The program has expanded since inception, and is now running in 57 Northern Alberta schools, serving urban, rural, and First Nations, Metis and Inuit students.  In 2012 Allan committed to enhancing the APPLE Schools program by integrating principles set out in the “FranklinCovey” Leader in Me program into existing APPLE Schools. The gift will also allow the School of Public Health to evaluate the impact of Leader in Me on children’s physical fitness, eating habits and leadership skills. 

In recognition of his tremendous support of education, Allan has received honorary degrees from the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, Lethbridge and St. Francis Xavier. Mr. Markin is a Founder of St. Mary’s University and was bestowed an honorary fellowship from St. Mary’s University in 2004. In accepting The Fraser Institute’s T. Patrick Boyle Founder Award in 2010, Allan spoke of individual value and personal responsibility. 

The Mayor of the City of Calgary bestowed him with the Citizen of the Year award for 2004 and he received the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005. In July 2008, Mr. Markin was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada by the Governor General. He received The Alberta Order of Excellence in October 2008. In the fall of 2009, he was inducted into the Calgary Business Hall of Fame. In March 2012, Allan was recognized as the Canadian Business Leader of the Year Award by the Alberta School of Business of the University of Alberta. In the summer of 2012 Allan was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. 

Another major benefactor of Mr. Markin’s philanthropy has been health. Allan created a registered charity -- the Pure North S’Energy Foundation, an innovative preventative health program focused on promoting a positive lifestyle as the foundation of a happy, healthy and long life. As of August 2013, Pure North had over 20,000 registered participants from a broad cross-section of backgrounds, with a special focus on, seniors, fire & flood victims, inner-city and aboriginal populations, including many communities in northern Canada. The main focus is supplying dearly needed vital nutrients, and the reduction of heavy metal toxicity, to prevent illness. 

Although diversified, his main philanthropic objective is to enhance education tied to health and wellness.