Fred Gardiner

Who was Fred Gardiner?

Frederick Goldwin Gardiner, QC, LL.D was a Canadian politician, lawyer and businessman. He was the first chairman of Metropolitan Toronto council, the governing body for the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, from 1953 to 1961. As Metro Chairman, Gardiner, nicknamed "Big Daddy", was a staunch advocate of growth and expansion and was responsible for many capital works projects, including the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway.

Gardiner, after graduating first in his law class, had a very successful law career. He was a top criminal lawyer who commanded high fees. In business, he invested wisely and at one time was the largest share-holder in the Toronto-Dominion Bank. He was involved in numerous other businesses, including consumer credit, sawmills, manufacturing and mining.

Gardiner was a prominent member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in both federal and provincial politics, organizing conventions and developing policy in the 1930s and 1940s. He was instrumental in the updating of the Conservative Party as it was then known to the Progressive Conservative Party to acknowledge its change in policy to incorporate progressive values.