H.C. (Carl) McGregor Fund
Carl MacGregor combined donations totalling $19,000 to establish the first named fund within the Community Foundation of Portage and District. The H.C. (Carl) McGregor Fund. Establishment. Establishing this fund is only one chapter in a history of significant charitable giving.
Henry Carl McGregor was born on July 2, 1923 at the homestead of his maternal grandparents in the Eden District. He was raised and received his schooling in the Rossendale/ Lavenham area. After school Carl worked, and later partnered, with his father in the operation of the family farm.
Farming and the rural Manitoba values of hard work, thrift and helping your neighbour helped shape Carl's character. He recalls that even in the early days when there was little money, assistance could be found for the local church Ladies' Aid and farther a field for the work of the Red Cross and the T.B. Sanatorium in Ninette.
Carl and his father moved to Portage in 1979 to better care for the elder McGregor's increasing health needs. The farm was sold but Carl believed he was still much too young to retire. Over the years he worked at a variety of agricultural industry jobs, the longest of which was his affiliation with the University of Manitoba Test Farm from 1981 to 1995. Here he assisted with the experimental crops and has particularly fond memories of working with both Graduate and Undergraduate Agriculture Students over the years.
At this time Carl was also studying and investing prudently in the stock market. Investment earnings have fuelled his charitable giving ever since. As one might expect, the areas of education and health care have attracted much of his interest over the years.
Two things attracted Carl's interest to the Community Foundation of Portage and District. First, he particularly liked the community foundation concept of having a permanent endowment fund which, in itself, is always retained. As well CFPD was associated with The Thomas Sill Foundation and Carl had long admired Mr. Sill's character and approach to business.
Carl is the one of the Foundation's largest benefactors. But he did not see his generosity as anything particularly unique in Portage. "I really admire those people who work hard at volunteering. I never seem to have the time so I do what I can by giving."