Krishnan Suthanthiran
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Krishnan Suthanthiran (born 1947) is an Indian-Canadian multi-millionaire and businessman.[1] Born in India and educated in Canada, Suthanthiran is known for his ownership of the company town Kitsault, British Columbia and companies involved in the manufacturing of medical devices.
Suthanthiran was born in southern India in 1947 to a family of grocery-store owners. In 1969, he immigrated to Canada to study mechanical engineering at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, completing his master's degree in 1971.[1][2]
He developed an interest in cancer research after the death of his father, which has concerned much of his work since. He took pre-medical courses before moving to the United States to work in oncology.[3]
In 1977, he founded health care supplies manufacturer Best Medical International in Springfield, Virginia.[4]
In 2005, he purchased the former company town of Kitsault, British Columbia, Canada, for US $5.7 million. The town had housed miners' families, but was abandoned in 1982. The town is 20 years into a process of being preserved and is used to house miners working in the area. While Suthanthiran has proposed several plans for revitalizing the town, including an artists' and scientists' retreat, a Liquefied natural gas terminal,[5] a movie studio and a resort,[3] Kitsault remains as it was when it was first abandoned.
In 2007, he established the Best Cure Foundation in Virginia as a non-profit entity to promote healthcare and education globally.[6]
On May 1st 2009, he purchased Best Theratronics, a company located in Kanata, Ontario that manufactures cyclotrons and medical equipment.[5]
Suthanthiran's political involvements include three parties he founded: the Proud Indian Party in 2013,[7] Proud American Party in 2020[8] and Proud Canadian Party in 2021.[9]