{"id":9916,"date":"2026-09-17T09:15:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T13:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fondationduchum.com\/?p=9916"},"modified":"2026-09-17T09:15:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T13:15:29","slug":"maurice-bouffard-foundation-donation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fondationduchum.com\/en\/news\/maurice-bouffard-foundation-donation\/","title":{"rendered":"A dream turned into a commitment: The legacy of Maurice Bouffard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Maurice Bouffard never shied away from a challenge. This Quebec water-skiing champion and successful entrepreneur was a deeply generous and compassionate man, who made perseverance and pushing one\u2019s limits a way of life. His final dream was to advance research into paralysis caused by spinal cord injury, a cause that touched him deeply since the accident that left him a quadriplegic. Today, thanks to a $3.2 million gift from the Maurice Bouffard Foundation<\/strong> to the CHUM Foundation, made possible through his estate, this dream is gaining new momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pushing the limits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maurice Bouffard made his mark in barefoot water skiing\u2014that is, gliding directly on the water with no skis\u2014going on to set records for both speed and distance. He represented Canada in international competitions, thrilling crowds on Lac des Dauphins during Expo 67 and at La Ronde. He and his friend Louis Simard also set two records: in 1966, the pair completed a 520-kilometre round trip between Montreal and Quebec City in 13 hours and 30 minutes, and two years later, they made a splash at the Valleyfield Regattas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving forward in a different way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An accident while doing the sport he loved, however, changed his life and left him unable to walk or move freely. But Maurice Bouffard refused to let that experience define his future. He remained active in the water-skiing community, helping to develop the sport in the Repentigny area, while building a career as a respected businessman in east-end Montreal, where he was involved in numerous local projects and businesses. Bouffard continued to meet the challenges of everyday life with determination and made his initiatives a reality thanks to the support of those who believed in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fulfilling Maurice Bouffard’s dream through others<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maurice Bouffard\u2019s deepest desire was to walk again, but he also wanted to share this dream with others. His final wishes were clear: to advance research into paralysis caused by spinal cord injury through a significant donation, so that others might one day walk again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The CHUM<\/a> is home to one of the largest and most comprehensive neurology services in Canada. This major gift from the Maurice Bouffard Foundation will be contributing to the growth of two innovative initiatives: stem cell-based regenerative therapies and SERVO<\/a>, a platform that brings together thousands of medical records to improve our understanding of neurological diseases, to better characterize spinal cord injuries and to accelerate scientific discoveries.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the right resources, medicine can work miracles,\u201d Maurice Bouffard believed. His gift stands as a testament to that conviction and to his desire to help others beyond his own lifetime.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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