Sherry Brydson is the largest shareholder of Woodbridge, the Thomson family investment firm that controls Thomson Reuters and is one of the most influential business figures in Canada.
Sherry Brydson is also the richest Canadian woman, with an estimated net worth of $19 billion, placing her second only to Changpeng Zhao ($41 billion), founder of cryptocurrency giant Binance.
Despite her wealth and ownership influence, Brydson remains one of the most private members of the Thomson dynasty, making her one of the most mysterious figures in Canadian business.
In this blog, we explore 10 essential Sherry Brydson facts and explain why, despite being a billionaire and the richest woman in Canada, she remains unknown to most people.
10 Interesting Facts About Sherry Brydson
These key Sherry Brydson facts reveal her early life, business influence, personal values, philanthropic work, and overall financial position. They will help you understand how Sherry Brydson became the richest female Canadian.
Early Life Facts Of Sherry Brydson
1. Sherry is the Granddaughter of Roy Thomson
Sherry Brydson is the granddaughter of Roy Thomson, the first Baron of Fleet Street and founder of the Thomson media empire.
Roy Thomson began with a single Ontario radio station in the 1930s, gradually expanding into newspapers, publishing, and global information services.
The Thomson family also owns significant Canadian assets, including:
- The Globe and Mail
- Stakes in the Montreal Canadiens
- Stakes in the Winnipeg Jets
This lineage places Brydson at the top of one of Canada’s wealthiest and most influential families.
2. Sherry was an activist and journalist since her college days
In the 1960s, Sherry attended the University of Toronto as a political science and economics student. She also contributed to The Varsity, the school newspaper.
She took part in the 1970 Abortion Caravan, in which hundreds of women marched from British Columbia to Parliament Hill in Ottawa to protest the country’s restrictive abortion regulations.
Moreover, Sherry was one of 30 women who sat in the House of Commons, shackled to their seats in protest.
Facts About Sherry Brydson’s Business Life
3. She Is the Largest Shareholder in the Thomson Family Empire
Brydson owns approximately 23% of Woodbridge, the private investment vehicle of the Thomson family.
Woodbridge controls about 70% of Thomson Reuters, making her stake the largest among the six Thomson heirs.
This single ownership position is the core source of her massive wealth.
4. She Plays a Quiet but Influential Role at Thomson Reuters
Although Sherry Brydson does not participate publicly in corporate affairs, her position as the largest individual shareholder of Woodbridge gives her substantial behind-the-scenes influence over Thomson Reuters, one of the world’s most important information service companies.
Woodbridge controls the majority of the company’s voting power, shaping everything from long-term strategy to leadership direction.
5. She Leads Westerkirk Capital — Her Private Family Office
Brydson’s family office, Westerkirk Capital, manages a diversified private portfolio with long-term value.
Its investments include:
- Hospitality
- Aviation
- Real estate
- Media
- Oil & gas
Westerkirk is known for avoiding high-risk ventures and instead focusing on stable industries with consistent returns.
6. She Owns Viking Air and the Iconic Twin Otter Aircraft Line
One of Brydson’s most notable holdings is Viking Air in British Columbia, manufacturer of the revived Twin Otter aircraft.
The plane remains globally famous for its rugged performance in remote regions, making this one of her most impactful business assets.
Lesser-known Sherry Brydson Facts
7. She Controls Hospitality and Media Assets
Sherry Brydson’s portfolio also includes:
- Toronto’s Elmwood Spa and Bangkok Garden restaurant
- The Moose FM radio network in Ontario
- A hotel development company in Nova Scotia
These holdings show her footprint across Canadian industries.
8. She Is One of the Most Private Billionaires in the World
Unlike many modern billionaires, Sherry Brydson has chosen to operate largely out of public view. She rarely appears at public events, does not give interviews, and avoids personal branding entirely.
Sherry Brydson’s present life is so private that even basic details, such as Sherry Brydson husband or whether she has children, have never been publicly confirmed.
Observers often note that this privacy is not incidental, but is strategic.
It reduces public scrutiny of both her personal life and the family business, allowing her to participate in major corporate decisions without the pressures that typically accompany wealth and public attention.
9. She Has a Documented Record of Philanthropy
While Brydson is intensely private, her philanthropic record is extensive and well-documented.
Major Donations
- $5 million donation to YWCA Toronto (2009) in honor of her late mother, Irma Thomson Brydson.
- This remains one of the largest gifts ever made to a Canadian service organization and helped fund a major affordable housing project for women and children.
Arts & Community Support
- Hosted a fundraising event at Elmwood Spa with artwork by Canadian painter Charles Pachter, supporting women’s housing programs.
- Established a charitable foundation in her mother’s name, continuing a family tradition of philanthropic engagement.
Cultural Repatriation
- In 2006, Brydson and her cousin David Thomson jointly purchased a collection of sacred Tsimshian artifacts for $5.7 million after the Royal BC Museum was unable to secure funding.
- She later financed a national exhibition tour to ensure the pieces were shared with the public.
- She called the repatriation “a repayment of one of the biggest mistakes ever made,” underscoring her interest in cultural preservation.
10. Ranked as Canada’s Richest Woman by Bloomberg and Forbes
Both the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and the 2025 Forbes Billionaires List consistently rank Sherry Brydson as the richest woman in Canada.
Bloomberg has previously placed her net worth at around $19 billion, while Forbes ranked her No. 125 globally in 2025. This reflects the significant value of her roughly 23% stake in Woodbridge, which controls about 70% of Thomson.
Conclusion
These Sherry Brydson facts show that her story is unusual not because of her wealth, but because of the way she chooses to carry it.
At a time when billionaires often build public personas, she has built a life defined by quiet influence, steady stewardship, and conviction in her values.
Her activism in youth, her disciplined investment approach, and her commitment to cultural and community causes reveal a figure who sees responsibility not as a burden, but as a duty inherited and upheld.
Her path shows that leadership does not always require visibility, and impact does not always demand attention.
Sherry Brydson continues to shape industries, support meaningful causes, and preserve a family legacy, while reminding the world that power can be exercised with intention, restraint, and purpose.
Maria Isabel Rodrigues
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