Dr. Stephen “Steve” Tredwell (MD ’66) combined visionary leadership with compassionate clinical care to transform pediatric orthopaedics from an isolated practice into a world-class academic division. Over four decades, he advanced scoliosis treatment, launched Canada’s premier pediatric orthopaedic fellowship, and mentored generations of surgeons—all while shaping national standards in surgical education. His approach fused patient care, research, and teaching, leaving a lasting imprint on UBC Orthopaedics and the global pediatrics community.
- 1960
Begins undergraduate studies at UBC
- 1963
Enters UBC Medical School
- 1968
Orthopaedic residency at UBC; fellowships in Hong Kong, Minneapolis, Wilmington, and Boston
- 1972
Becomes one of BC’s first pediatric orthopaedic surgeons
- Mid-1970s
Authors BC’s first surgical informed consent document
- 1978
Helps launch first Seating & Positioning course (later becomes International Seating Symposium)
- 1991
Appointed Head of Pediatric Orthopaedics at BC Children’s Hospital and UBC
- 1998
Launches Canada’s premier pediatric orthopaedic fellowship program
- 2007
Retires as Professor; becomes Professor Emeritus
- 2018
Helps establish UBC Emeritus College
Early Roots and a Nonlinear Path to Medicine
When Dr. Stephen Tredwell began his career, pediatric orthopaedics was barely recognized as a distinct specialty.
“Pediatric orthopedic surgeons working currently are often astonished to learn that in the mid 1950’s only nine orthopedic surgeons in the USA and Canada could be identified as working almost exclusively with children.”
That reality fueled his lifelong mission: to give pediatric orthopaedics its own identity and academic foundation.
Born in Victoria on August 18, 1941, during the final years of World War II, Dr. Tredwell grew up in Kamloops, where his father worked for the Royal Canadian Naval Ammunition Depot. “It was an interesting life,” he said: his father monitored munitions and disposed of unexploded bombs. His family roots in British Columbia run deep: his grandfather designed the first indirect lighting in BC at Christ Church Cathedral (Victoria) and the first electrically powered dry dock in the Americas at Esquimalt.
“If you poke a BC-native, all these beautiful stories will tumble out.”
Education wasn’t a straight line. After senior matriculation in Kamloops, he arrived at UBC in 1960 and explored a wide range of subjects—chemistry, zoology, English, and psychology.
“People couldn’t quite understand what I was doing—neither could I,” he joked.
Eventually, he pivoted to zoology, drawn to invertebrate biology, and credits generous professors for guiding him despite his unconventional path.
From Ivory Tower to Clinical Reality
By his third year, medicine was calling. He entered UBC’s medical school in 1963 and graduated MD in 1966. At the time, UBC was considered an “ivory tower” medical school—rich in theory, lighter on clinical exposure.
“When I graduated, I’d delivered six babies, started ten IVs, and read two or three ECGs,” said Tredwell. To gain hands-on experience, Dr. Tredwell and a classmate went to Cook County Hospital in Chicago. Discovering the realities of frontline care at Cook County, he discovered how well UBC’s rigorous academic preparation paired with hands-on practice.
“The ivory tower UBC education, combined with that frontline experience, was a perfect match. And I found UBC didn’t have to take a backseat to anyone.”
Building Pediatric Orthopaedics in British Columbia
After his internship, Dr. Tredwell returned to UBC for his orthopaedic residency, followed by fellowships in anterior spine surgery (Hong Kong), scoliosis correction and bracing (Minneapolis), and focused pediatric orthopaedics (Wilmington and Boston). In 1972, he returned to Vancouver to join Dr. Michael Bell, the first dedicated pediatric orthopaedic surgeon in BC. Together, they laid out the groundwork for what would become a world-class division at BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH).
Within UBC’s Department of Orthopaedics, Dr. Tredwell authored British Columbia’s first surgical informed consent document in the mid-1970s, signaling a career-long commitment to medical ethics and patient-centered care. His mantra—echoing mentor G. Dean MacEwen—became a guiding principle: “Pediatric Orthopaedics lives in the clinic and visits the OR.”
It was a philosophy that centered on the developing child—their needs, context, and timing—rather than reflexive intervention. By the mid-1990s, pediatric orthopaedic surgeons in BC still maintained private offices and performed surgery at the hospital.
“This isn’t going to be good enough,” Dr. Tredwell realized.
Transforming BC Children’s Hospital
When Shaughnessy Hospital closed, he saw an opportunity for structural change. He proposed converting the radiology department into a dedicated orthopaedic clinic—keeping a bay of X-ray machines while renovating the rest into offices and clinical space, and bringing all surgeons on-site full-time.
The plan worked. In 1996, pediatric orthopaedics at BC Children’s Hospital transitioned into an academic unit—transforming patient care, resident education, and research.
“Once we sat down, I said: now there are obligations. We have to teach better. We have to develop a fellowship program. We have to get research off the ground.”
By 1998–99, BCCH had launched Canada’s premier pediatric orthopaedic fellowship, now training 4–5 fellows annually. Its graduates now work across Canada, the U.S., England, Australia, and India. The research program blossomed into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, including leading international inquiries into pediatric hip pathology. Resident teaching improved dramatically, and medical students flocked to electives at BCCH.
National and International Leadership
Dr. Tredwell’s influence extended across North America. He served on the POSNA board—serving as Chair of the Educational Committee and Secretary — and was inducted into the POSNA Hall of Fame in 2023. He was a founding member of IPOTT, and chaired the Program Committee of the Scoliosis Research Society. As Chief Examiner of the Royal College in Orthopaedics, he played a pivotal role in reforming the Royal College orthopaedic examination process, making it fairer and more structured: “I think I left with a much fairer exam. I was very, very happy to be part of that change.”
In addition, he chaired program committees for the Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA), and the Orthopaedic section of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Mentorship and Advocacy
Perhaps his most enduring legacy is mentorship. He launched one of Canada’s senior pediatric orthopaedic fellowship programs, training surgeons now practicing across Canada and 15+ countries. A staunch advocate for EDI, he hired the first female surgical staff member in orthopaedics and the first disabled faculty scientist at UBC, while growing international diversity in fellowship recruitment.
“I’m most proud of my trainees. They’ve grown into world-class researchers and pediatric orthopaedic surgeons in their own right.”
Innovation Beyond the OR
He also helped seed a movement in seating and positioning for children with complex disabilities. In the late 1970s, recognizing gaps for patients with conditions like cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, Dr. Tredwell and colleagues organized the first course at IRC; it grew into the International Seating Symposium in Vancouver, drawing 600–700 attendees every other year. Exhibitors were asked to participate in lectures—and returned with new products addressing the previous year’s clinical challenges.
Championing Cultural Evolution
Dr. Tredwell witnessed—and welcomed—the cultural evolution of UBC.
He saw gender balance transform medicine: “When I went to medical school, there were six women in our class. Today, 55–57% of medical students are women.”
He notes that this shift has reshaped medical culture itself—making the field more collaborative, equitable, and responsive to complex health needs.
He also championed strong relationships with family practitioners across BC—writing letters that explained spectrum and differential diagnoses, so community physicians had reusable knowledge for future patients. His master’s thesis examined the identity of family practitioners in BC, reflecting an enduring interest in organizational dynamics and collaboration.
“We were a very Anglo-Saxon university when I came here—painfully so. And we grew up. Do we need to grow? Certainly. Do we have faults? Certainly. Are we improving? Most certainly.”
— Dr. Stephen Tredwell
Redefining Retirement
Even after retiring in 2007, Dr. Tredwell remained deeply involved with UBC—helping transform the Association of Professors Emeriti into the UBC Emeritus College, officially launched in June 2018 (the first of its kind in Canada).
“Retirement used to feel like falling off a cliff—one day you were here, the next day you were gone. We wanted pathways that maintained identity, scholarly growth, and community.” With support from Santa J. Ono, then-President and Vice-Provost, that vision became reality.
A Philosophy That Endures
Across every setting—clinic, operating room, classroom, and community—Dr. Tredwell’s philosophy has been integration. He believed that patient care, research, and teaching were inseparable and that true progress comes when all three move forward together. His message to the next generation is clear: pediatric orthopaedics is both demanding and deeply rewarding—embrace the journey.
