McKinnon family gives $234,000 to Airdrie charity fund that will support local nonprofits for generations

The Airdrie & District Community Foundation has received a $234,000 gift from the McKinnon family, going into a permanent legacy fund that pays out investment income each year to local charities and nonprofits.

Because the principal stays intact and only investment income is granted, the fund is meant to keep supporting Airdrie-area charities indefinitely. Dan McKinnon said the gift was a way to continue the support he and his late wife Donna gave local groups for decades. "We are thrilled to be able to make this donation," he said. "Now, we know that support will continue helping local charities for generations to come."

Donna McKinnon died in 2011. The couple married in 1958 after meeting through the Airdrie Beef 4H Club. Both were raised on farms about five miles apart, though they attended different schools. They have three children, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

The McKinnons have farmed in the Calgary and Airdrie areas since 1886, when Dan's grandfather began ranching on land now known as the McKinnon Flats Recreational Area. Dan went out on his own in 1981, founding Three Cross Cattle Ltd. just east of Airdrie. He and Donna built it into a 5,000-head feedlot operation.

Donna ran the Airdrie Agricultural Society's Fall Fair for many years, was an original volunteer for the Airdrie Public Library, and was active in the Airdrie Lioness Club and a United Church women's group. Dan has volunteered with the Airdrie Rodeo, July 1st parades, the Airdrie 4H Beef Club, Meals on Wheels, the Nose Creek Historical Society, the Airdrie Festival of Lights and the Nose Creek Valley Museum. He is a charter member of the Airdrie Lions Club, received the Melvin Jones Fellowship Certificate, the highest award of the Lions Clubs International Foundation, and was inducted into the Lions Club Hall of Fame.

Dan was also active in the Alberta Beef Producers and the Canadian Cattle Commission, and was one of the first Canadian producers to import Limousin cattle from France. "We always worked closely and cooperatively with family and neighbouring farms and ranches," he said.

Kelly Boudreau, president of the Airdrie & District Community Foundation, said the gift "will create lasting opportunities, strengthen our community, and make a difference for years to come."

The foundation was established on September 1, 2012, with a permanent fund. Annual grants have grown since 2017, and in 2026 the foundation distributed grants to Airdrie and area charities on May 14. The foundation issues donor tax receipts, and donations are held permanently and invested.