Canadian hockey hero joins Kincardine hospital fundraising campaign

Hockey legend and Bruce County native Paul Henderson has joined a Kincardine hospital fundraising campaign. CTV’s Scott Miller reports.

“I’m very convinced that without the Kincardine hospital, I probably would be dead today,” said Paul Henderson.

The man who scored the most important goal in Canadian hockey history was born in the middle of a Bruce County snowstorm and was taken to Kincardine’s hospital via horse drawn sleigh by his grandparents.

Eighty-two years later, the Bruce County native, who was raised in nearby Lucknow, is giving back to the hospital that brought him into this world by becoming an Honourary Health Care Ambassador for the Kincardine hospital’s ambitious fundraising campaign that will modernize and nearly triple the size of the aging health care facility.

“Eleanor and I grew up in that whole area, and obviously I lived there, lived in Lucknow. And we’ve been so blessed that we’ve tried to, any time we can help somebody, we try to. We’ve done a lot of work for different charities, especially cancer and that kind of stuff. So, when this came up, it was just a great fit and we’re glad to be involved, I’ll tell you that,” said Henderson.

Kincardine’s hospital foundation has raised nearly $13 million of their $18 million goal to upgrade and expand the community’s emergency and imaging departments, while adding Bruce County’s first MRI machine.

It’s part of a $79 million hospital redevelopment that started in 2018 and recently added a CT Scanner.

Hospital staff hope Henderson’s name recognition and passion for his former home region will help push them past their lofty fundraising goal.

“It’s so important because Paul is local to our community. He holds our community dear to his heart, and that’s important to us. We are so grateful and thankful that the two of them have joined the campaign,” said Mark Womack, chair of Kincardine’s Hospital Capital Campaign.

Not only have Henderson and his wife Eleanor put their names and dollars behind the campaign, they’ll be immortalized inside the hospital renovation, with the Paul and Eleanor Henderson Quiet and Comfort Lounge, a place for physicians and family members to privately discuss loved ones’ diagnoses.

“Especially for people that are hurting. That’s what we thought. We’d really like to have a place that when you go to see somebody in the hospital, and you don’t know whether they’re going to live or not, and they could go into this room for some peace and quiet,” said Henderson.

“He’s local. He’s part of our community. And, you know, we need to make sure, especially the younger generation recognizes how important his legacy is to our community,” said Womack.

Henderson said he’s ready to do whatever he can to get Kincardine over its $18 million fundraising goal. He said he visits “back home” religiously, and Bruce County still holds a special place in his and his wife’s hearts, and always will.

“I’m very proud of it. When people ask me about it all the time, I’m quick to tell them where we came from. A lot of great memories,” said Henderson.

A signed 72 Summit Series Henderson jersey is up for grabs for those that donate before the end of February online.