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Alliston loses ‘pillar of the community’: Lou Biffis passes away

January 22, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

A well-respected resident of New Tecumseth, Lou Biffis, the man who built the Nottawasaga Inn Resort and Conference Centre, passed away on Jan. 8.

Mr. Biffis was born in Luigi Biffis in Pero, Breda di Piave, Treviso Veneto, Italy in 1936 and immigrated to Canada in 1953.

He purchased the land that the resort is now on in 1959, with plans to eventually build a resort that would take advantage of the river location and surrounding rolling hills.

He built his dream, and the Inn opened in 1968 with 40 guest rooms, a dining room, coffee shop and banquet facility.

Over the years, the family-operated resort went through several major expansions, including the addition of more guest rooms, a golf course, a 70,000 square-foot sports and leisure dome, and the Centre Ice Sportsplex that features two ice pads.

As the facility grew and became a destination resort and the biggest tourist draw in New Tecumseth, Mr. Biffis began giving back to the community.

The Inn began assisting with Stevenson Memorial Hospital fundraisers in 1988.

In 2001, the Biffis and Lombardi families established the Nottawasaga Foundation with the goal of supporting local charities. To date, the Foundation has raised more than $7.2 million. This includes the annual Nottawasaga Resort Golf Tournament.

The Foundation continues to raise funds in support of Stevenson Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Biffis also took the lead in the construction of the Green Briar and Briar Hill adult-lifestyle communities that surround the Inn.

He was recognized with a star on Toronto’s Italian Walk of Fame, as well as an honorary diploma from Georgian College.

Mr. Biffis leaves behind his wife of 67 years, Assunta, ‘Sue,’ and children Peter, Dino, and Sylvia, as well as six grandchildren.

A funeral mass was held for Mr. Biffis at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Alliston on Jan. 16, followed by a private family interment.

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