A Legacy of Care Lives On
Transformational Impact in Oceanside Community from a Gift in Will
For Michael Wansink, leaving a gift in his Will to improve healthcare in the community he called home was a natural extension of the values of service and caring for others he lived by. Guided by Michael’s executors – his children Matthew and Michelle – the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation (NDHF) was able to designate his unrestricted, cash bequest to make a transformational impact on three projects addressing issues close to his heart – the care of seniors and families in Oceanside. Thanks to Michael’s support, the Oceanside Health Centre’s new Family Medicine Clinic is now seeing patients, Trillium Lodge residents are enjoying a beautiful Therapeutic Garden, and thousands of patients will soon receive care at the innovative Primrose Medical Centre.
“Our dad was an unforgettable person. He made friends faster than red lights change to green. Seeing his generosity at work to help his many friends and neighbours in the community warms our hearts as much as we know it would make him so very proud.”
– Michelle and Matthew Wansink
A Life of Service
Born in Hengel, the Netherlands, Michael spent much of his career as an Officer with Royal Canadian Air Force. He held posts all over the world, including Edmonton, Summerside PEI, Ottawa, Africa, and Israel, among other locations, finishing his career in the Canadian Diplomatic Service.
Retiring at the age of 55, Michael chose Qualicum Beach as the community in which he would spend his final decades. A community-minded man, committed to care of the elderly and bringing families to Qualicum Beach, Mr. Wansink served as a Councillor for the Town of Qualicum Beach from 2005-2008.
During his lifetime, Michael supported the arts, international development, and healthcare causes, including through his support of NDHF, funding projects at both the Oceanside Health Centre and at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for more than 10 years. He was an active member of the community, involved at Elder College, the Rotary Club and the Prostate Cancer Support Group. He was also a community opera singer, a Board Member of Vancouver Island North Film Commission, Founder of the Healthy Aging Initiative, and a Volunteer at Milner Gardens.
Michael passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at Trillium Lodge Hospice on April 19, 2025.
The Gift
Like 54% of British Columbians* Michael had a Will, ensuring that his family would be taken care of when he passed. Michael was also part of a growing trend of Canadians who are leaving a gift to charity in their Will, a number that has doubled between 2019 and 2025*. Motivated by a desire to help the charities they care about continue their good work and wanting to leave behind something that is important and long lasting, 10% of Canadians now say they have left a gift to charity in their Will.
Foundation staff had been in regular contact with Michael in the decade before he passed, so we were aware that he had left a gift in his Will to NDHF, and we had the pleasure of getting to know him during his lifetime. This is a privilege our team cherishes. It is an honour to be able to thank our donors while they are with us, and to have the opportunity to know their values and priorities, so we can best ensure their wishes are met through their legacy gift.
When we received the copy of Michael’s Will with details of the bequest, we reached out to the Executors to discuss which current projects would best align with Michael’s personal values and provide maximum impact on healthcare in the community, ensuring the name Michael Anthony Wansink would not be forgotten.
The Impact
The Michael Wansink Extension
Oceanside Health CentreWith a legacy gift of $550,000, the Estate of Michael Wansink made a transformational contribution to the expansion project at Oceanside Health Centre. The new Family Medicine Clinic, which opened in August 2026, is alleviating pressure on the Centre’s Urgent Care department and helping take patients off the family doctor registry by adding four new exam rooms and modern, team-based workspaces. The new space has already attracted four new general practitioners, with room for two more.
The Michael Wansink Extension was announced by the Province on September 22nd, 2026, and has already served hundreds, including Shirley and Alan Bays, who moved to Oceanside six years ago. For the Bays, the experience has been entirely positive. “After waiting years for a family doctor and through him to finally gain essential access to a specialist, we were both relieved and immensely grateful to be among the first patients assigned to Oceanside Family Medicine. We are so impressed with standard of medical care as well as how well run the practice is. Delivering primary care this way is definitely the way to go; we couldn’t be happier”.
Primrose Medical Centre
Opening in October 2026, the Primrose Medical Centre in Qualicum Beach is an innovative new model of care, offering space for 6-9 family physicians, hosting specialty community clinics and offering access to weekly rotations of visiting specialists such as cardiologists, nephrologists, and gynecologists. This modern facility will ensure vulnerable populations receive services that are currently out of reach, reduce travel burdens, and improve patient outcomes across the region.
For Medical Director Kelly Hadfield, Michael’s gift was deeply meaningful. “Michael was my patient, and I had the privilege of knowing him as a person long before I knew him as a donor. His $200,000 gift will equip the rooms where thousands of Oceanside patients will be cared for — people who, because of him, will have a family doctor and will see a specialist close to home instead of waiting months and travelling for care. It is a profoundly generous way to go on caring for a community he loved.”
Therapeutic Garden and Specialized Equipment
Trillium LodgeHaving spent their father’s final days by his side at the Trillium Lodge Hospice, Michael’s children, Matthew and Michelle knew that funds to enhance the environment at the Lodge would be a special parting gift, and a way to say thank you for exceptional care. The $50,000 gift from Michael’s Estate enabled Trillium Lodge staff to work with a Certified Horticultural Therapist to create an immersive Therapeutic Garden, offering residents the opportunity to garden themselves, and having water and sound features, for those who simply want to enjoy the outdoors. The Estate gift also supported the purchase of four Broda chairs, which make it possible for someone who is normally bedbound to be placed comfortably enough into a semi-seated position to attend a Christmas concert or to be wheeled outside by a family member.
Gifts for the Future
For those who care about the health and well-being of others, a gift in your Will offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the future of healthcare, while providing tax benefits to your Estate without affecting your current financial situation. Michael Wansink’s bequest leaves a legacy of care that will benefit seniors and families in Oceanside for generations to come.
If you are interested in learning how you too can use your Will to improve healthcare in your community, please contact Cheryl Onciul, Senior Gift Planning Officer at 250-740-2622, or cheryl.onciul@islandhealth.ca.
*Canadian Association of Gift Planners, Legacy Giving in Canada, 2025
