09/14/2026
In Loving Memory of Cal Nichols (1942–2026)
It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to a true giant of Edmonton—Cal Nichols, a man whose love for this city ran deeper than any business deal or boardroom victory.
Most will remember Cal as the saviour of the Edmonton Oilers. When the team faced the unthinkable prospect of leaving our city in the late 1990s, Cal didn't sit on the sidelines. He co-chaired the Friends of the Oilers ticket drive in 1996, helping double the season ticket base to 13,000 and proving that this community would fight for its team. Then, when the franchise was truly on the brink, he rallied 38 local investors to form the Edmonton Investors Group, raising $110 million to purchase the club on May 5, 1998, and keep NHL hockey where it belonged—in Edmonton. For a decade, he served as chairman and governor, steadying the ship until the team was sold to Daryl Katz in June 2008.
But Cal's legacy extends far beyond the rink. From humble beginnings managing an Esso station as a teenager in Saskatchewan, he built a remarkable career—working for Imperial Oil, co-founding Northridge Canada, and then creating Gasland Oil in 1985, which grew into one of Western Canada's largest service station chains. He was also a founding silent partner of Edmonton Kubota from 2004 to 2010, helping lay the groundwork for what has become a trusted, family-run business serving central Alberta. Whether his name was on the door or behind the scenes, Cal had a gift for seeing potential and building things that lasted.
He was a community-builder in every sense: a Member of the Order of Canada, an inductee into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame, recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, and a Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club of Edmonton.
To his loving wife Edna, his children Ken (Heather) and Kristine (Scott), his grandchildren Sarah, Josh, Max, Joel, and Katie, and the countless friends whose lives he touched—we extend our deepest condolences. Edmonton has lost one of its finest, but his impact will be felt here for generations.
Rest in peace, Cal. Once an Oiler, always an Oiler. This city owes you more than words can say.
