Fred Gardiner

Frederick Goldwin Gardiner
1st Metro Toronto Chairman
In office 1953–1961
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	William R. Allen
Personal details
Born	(1895-01-21)January 21, 1895 Toronto, Ontario
Died	August 21, 1983(1983-08-21) (aged 88) Toronto, Ontario
Nationality	Canadian

Frederick Goldwin Gardiner, QC (January 21, 1895 – August 21, 1983) 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 (named for him) and the Don Valley Parkway.^[1]

Gardiner, after graduating first in his law class, became a well-known criminal lawyer. He invested in various businesses, including consumer credit, sawmills, manufacturing and mining. At one time, he was the largest shareholder in the Toronto-Dominion Bank.

Gardiner was a prominent member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in both federal and provincial politics, organized conventions and developed 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. He was a close adviser to Ontario PC Premiers George Drew and Leslie Frost.