HALIFAX –
It was no surprise that Antigonish’s favorite, NS, taxi driver John McLellan, gave the money he had to the local hospital in his will, said family friend Margie Zink.
“But we were very surprised by the amount,” said Zinc, who was contacted by phone Wednesday at her home in Antigonish, northeastern province.
McLellan, who was from Johnny, left $ 1.68 million at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital, marking the largest single donation in its history.
He spent 63 years as a taxi driver in Antigonish before retiring at the age of 89 after a stroke. McClellan has always been frugal, Zinc said, adding that she believes he has made some of his money in the stock market.
“He always said he would leave a lot of money in the hospital; he always said that, “Zinc said, adding that she never imagined how much money he would give.
McClellan died in 2018 at the age of 96, and he donated $ 1.68 million to the hospital in steps spread over several months. The hospital received its last payment from the McClellan mansion in June 2021. The generous gift was published only earlier this month, when the St. Martha’s Hospital Foundation released a video tribute to McClellan.
Foundation President Megan McGillivray-Case said her group did not realize the true amount of the donation until it received the final payment.
“We are so grateful to John McClellan,” she said in an interview Wednesday. “It’s so impactful for the community here.”
Zinc said she met McClellan when she was 13 years old. He worked most of his career for Zinck Taxi, a company owned by her husband’s father, Donald Zinc. She said McClellan took her and several classmates to school before having a bus route.
“He was very kind and always talked to us,” she said. “He would understand everything for everyone.” He would know where you came from and who your parents were.
Zinc said it was well known that McClellan loved being a taxi driver and was proud to do a good job. “I think he knew most of Antigonish’s history and people’s problems.”
Community members knew they could call him for a ride, she said, even if they had no money. He often helped his riders import food and offered a hand in any way, she added.
MacLellan joined Zinck Taxi in 1946, and for years after getting rid of his driver’s uniform, he stood out among his colleagues for continuing to wear the company’s blue driving hat and personalized belt.
“He was more like a family,” Zinc told McClellan. “And I think Donnie, my husband, has always considered him more of a father.
Zinc says the couple, who were from Donnie and Johnny, have remained close friends for the rest of their lives. She and her husband learned of the generous donation before Donnie died in January.
“I’m sure my husband is smiling because he really wanted to make sure Johnny was recognized for it.”
$ 1.68 million has been invested in a donation fund that will be used to purchase new hospital equipment and medical training. The Palliative Care Unit, where McClellan spent a short time before his death, was renamed John McClellan’s Palliative Care Unit.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 21, 2022.
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