Some people collect wine. David Montpetit collects experiences. And wine!
Amazing meals have shaped the way he experiences the world and cares for people. Growing up in Ontario’s Niagara wine region, David was drawn to the hospitality industry. At 14, he began working in restaurants as a dishwasher, then as a server, bartender, manager, and eventually investor.
That passion would lead him to study Hotel and Food Administration at the University of Guelph, where he completed a Bachelor Commerce degree in the field. But even as his career evolved, the memories of being a student trying to make ends meet stayed with him. “I was a broke student myself,” he says. “I know just how hard it can be.”
Years later, standing on stage at Elevate, our signature culinary fundraiser event, those memories came flooding back. As a guest judge at the Black Box Chef Competition, David was inspired by OC’s student chefs. In that moment, something clicked. “When I was on stage, I felt compelled to help those students with their journeys,” he shares.
What he didn’t know was that inspiration was about to come full circle in a deeply personal way.
At his 60th birthday celebration just months later, surrounded by family and friends, David received a surprise gift unlike any he had ever known. In his honour, his wife Kim, through her family’s Humphreys Family Foundation, established the David Montpetit Culinary Excellence Award Fund. The tribute was presented by Okanagan College President Dr. Neil Fassina – $60,000 for 60 students on his 60th birthday.
David feels the Okanagan is ready. He believes that OC’s new Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism and Kelowna’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy will help students define the next chapter for our region. “We have an opportunity here to set the benchmark,” he says.
For David, hospitality is about generosity. About creating experiences that bring people together. And then passing that spirit forward to the next generation.
