Education
University of Manitoba. University of Saskatchewan.
University of Manitoba. University of Saskatchewan.
Born in Melville, Saskatchewan, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba in 1929 and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1932. He was called to Bar of Saskatchewan in 1933. From 1933 to 1940, he practised law in Melville, Saskatchewan with the law firm Kanee & Deroche.
During World World War II, he served with the Canadian Army in Europe and the South Pacific.
He was discharged with the rank of Major. After the war, he practised law in Winnipeg, Manitoba with the law firm, Shinbane, Dorfman & Kanee, until 1965.
He was the owner and President of Soo Lincolnshire Mills, which he took over after his father"s death, and several other businesses in Winnipeg. Under his supervision, in 1955, the Soo Lincolnshire Milling Company switched from conveyor belt operation to a pneumatic drive.
This was the first flour mill to make this switch in the Western hemisphere.
In addition to his national and international contributions, Sol Kanee worked hard to improve his city, Winnipeg. There, he chaired the Community Welfare Planning Council, and worked tirelessly for a variety of organisations, including the Society for Crippled Children and Adults, the United Way, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (which he helped lift from obscurity), the Board of Governors of the University of Manitoba (of which he was chair) and the Sharon Home. Sol Kanee devoted much of his energy toward improving the status of Jews around the world.
He rose through the ranks to become president of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 1971 to 1974, and worked on the executive of the World Jewish Congress.
He passionately supported and advocated on behalf of the state of Israel, and using his connections in Canadian politics, he convinced Communicative Disorders Howe not only to sell arms to Israel, but to do so at discounted rates. He later procured planes and cargo to supply relief to the young country.
His other, international humanitarian projects included fighting to secure reparations from Germany and persuading the Russian government to ease its restriction on Russian Jews emigrating to Israel.