The Empire Club of Canada
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, the Empire Club of Canada will honour the Toronto Blue Jays with the 2025 Nation Builder Award at a special ceremony at the Toronto Metropolitan Convention Centre in downtown Toronto. Canada’s team will be celebrated for its extraordinary impact on national culture, community, and pride, with the award accepted on behalf of the organisation by Mark Shapiro, President and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto, will join others in giving testimonials on the impact of the Blue Jays in bringing together — not only the city of Toronto — but the whole country.
Following the formal presentation, the Blue Jays’ story will be brought to life in an in-depth fireside chat featuring Shapiro in conversation with Hazel Mae, member of Sportsnet’s Blue Jays broadcast team. Together, they will explore how the Blue Jays’ on-field achievements, long-term investments in fan experience and infrastructure, and the work of Jays Care Foundation have helped unite Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Attendees will gain behind-the-scenes insight into how the Blue Jays have become a true national institution—building resilient teams, engaging a country-wide fan base, and leveraging their platform to drive social impact. Business, civic, and community leaders will leave with practical lessons on leadership, brand stewardship, and community-building that extend far beyond the ballpark.
About the Toronto Blue Jays:
The Toronto Blue Jays are the only Canadian team in Major League Baseball. Founded in 1977, the Blue Jays are owned by Rogers Communications and play in downtown Toronto at Rogers Centre, which recently underwent a $400 million renovation to improve the fan experience and turn the stadium into a ballpark. The Blue Jays play in the highly competitive American League East where they have won seven division titles, three American League titles, and back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. In 2025, the Blue Jays captured the heart of a nation, uniting Canadians across the country during an exciting postseason run in which they captured the American League Championship. In the community, Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Blue Jays, is dedicated to growing the game by providing opportunities to youth – especially those facing systemic barriers – by leveraging baseball as a powerful tool to build character, resilience, and a sense of belonging. The Blue Jays are celebrating their 50th season in 2026.
The Toronto Blue Jays are the only Canadian team in Major League Baseball. Founded in 1977, the Blue Jays are owned by Rogers Communications and play in downtown Toronto at Rogers Centre, which recently underwent a $400 million renovation to improve the fan experience and turn the stadium into a ballpark. The Blue Jays play in the highly competitive American League East where they have won seven division titles, three American League titles, and back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. In 2025, the Blue Jays captured the heart of a nation, uniting Canadians across the country during an exciting postseason run in which they captured the American League Championship. In the community, Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Blue Jays, is dedicated to growing the game by providing opportunities to youth – especially those facing systemic barriers – by leveraging baseball as a powerful tool to build character, resilience, and a sense of belonging. The Blue Jays are celebrating their 50th season in 2026.
Mark Shapiro is one of the few Major League Baseball executives that has experience in all facets of the game – baseball, business, and league operations – over the course of a career that spans more than 30 years.
Mark was appointed President & CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays in November 2015, a role that oversees the organization’s business and baseball operations and represents ownership at the league level.
Mark is responsible for the expansion of the Blue Jays’ systems and capabilities in several areas, including player development, high performance, strategy, and analytics. He has championed two significant capital projects in his tenure: upgrading the team’s Spring Training home in Dunedin, FL with the Player Development Complex, an industry-leading performance facility; and the $400 million renovation to Rogers Centre, transforming the stadium to a ballpark. Under Mark’s leadership, the Blue Jays have reached the postseason five times: 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2025.
Mark’s baseball career began in 1992 in Cleveland, where he spent 24 seasons. He joined Cleveland as an assistant in baseball operations and quickly progressed into a senior leadership role as Director of Minor League Operations, before becoming Vice President of Baseball Operations & Assistant General Manager in 1999. Mark was named Executive Vice President & General Manager in 2002 and held that position until he was appointed Team President in 2011.
Following both the 2005 and 2007 seasons, Mark was named the Sporting News “Executive of the Year,” and was the only active General Manager in MLB at that time to win the award twice. In 2005, he was also named “Executive of the Year” by Baseball America.
Beyond his extensive work in the front office, Mark has been involved in key baseball initiatives at Major League Baseball for more than a decade. He currently sits on the league’s Competition Committee; On Field Committee; Long-Term Strategic Planning Committee; and Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors for Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays.
A Baltimore native, Mark played four years of football at Princeton University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. He lives in Toronto with his family.
A member of the Sportsnet’s on-air talent team since 2001, Hazel Mae has brought extensive television experience and knowledge to the network’s MLB coverage. Currently a member of the Toronto Blue Jays TV broadcast crew as on-field reporter, Mae brings the sights, sounds and entertaining player interviews alive for viewers. In addition to her work in-game, Mae serves as guest co-host on the pre- and post-game show, Blue Jays Central, throughout the season, and regularly contributes to Sportsnet Central, the network’s daily news program. Previously, Hazel was the lead anchor on the New England Sports Network’s daily show, SportsDesk and helped launch the MLB Network. She was recently named the 2025 winner of the Jack Graney Award by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, given to a member of the media who made significant contributions to baseball in Canada through their life’s work.
Olivia Chow has served the people of Toronto for over three decades. Born in Hong Kong in 1957, she immigrated to Toronto with her parents at the age of 13. An apartment in St. James Town became the launchpad for her remarkable journey as a community organizer, activist, school board trustee, Metro Toronto Councillor, Member of Parliament, and now Mayor of Toronto.
As Mayor, Olivia Chow is working to build a Toronto that reflects the hope and opportunity she experienced when she first arrived — a city that is more affordable, more caring, and safer for everyone
