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The Gardner Legacy

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/06/2025 (345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Officially, Father’s Day took place earlier this month, but for William S. Gardner, K.C., every day is Father’s Day-especially when he wears his HSC Foundation hat.

“HSC is in my DNA,” says Gardner, who has served on the Foundation Board since 2002, including a stint as Vice Chair. “My dad and my grandfather cared deeply about health care, and so do I.”

Gardner’s grandfather, Dr. William A. Gardner, was an orthopedic surgeon at the Winnipeg General Hospital which merged with other institutions to form HSC in 1973. Gardner’s father, William C. Gardner, Q.C., served as the Founding Chair of the HSC Foundation.

“They were both so instrumental in my life,” says Gardner. “I remember at the age of five going with my grandfather on house calls. And he used to tell me stories about his service as a surgeon on the western front in France in World War I.”

Gardner’s father saw action in the Second World War. After his ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Denmark Strait, he survived enemy fire and icy waters, staying afloat by clinging onto pieces of the wreckage. Many years later, he chaired the Winnipeg General Hospital Board before founding the HSC Foundation in 1976.

“My dad and others realized that donors could step forward to keep the hospital moving forward,” says Gardner. “That’s even more true today. As Manitobans, we can make sure that the hospital is equipped to take care of our loved ones for many years to come.”