Much like their neighbors in the United States, Canadians have been making philanthropic commitments in their communities to address healthcare needs in growing frequency and scale since the Covid-19 pandemic. Below are the five largest gifts supporting cancer, representing a total investment of $207M CAD for cancer care, facilities, research, and other essential services since 2020.
Niagara Health Foundation Received $60M CAD From Greg And Diane Slaight – July 31, 2023
Niagara Health Foundation announced a $60M CAD gift from Greg and Diane Slaight that will transform the care that patients receive at Niagara Health. This contribution will be directed towards critical patient care equipment and priority needs across Niagara Health, the Walker Family Cancer Centre, and the South Niagara hospital project. $45M of the gift will address priority patient care needs and the advancement and treatment of health needs at Niagara Health for Niagara’s residents. $10M from the gift will support the Walker Family Cancer Centre, which will ensure that patients can receive cancer diagnosis and treatment close to home. Finally, $5M of the gift will support building the new South Niagara Hospital. In recognition of the support for the South Niagara Hospital, the Diagnostic Imaging Unit will be known as the “Slaight Family Diagnostic Imaging Unit.”
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Receives $50M CAD Donation – April 5, 2022
The gift from La Foundation Emmanuelle Gattuso made a $50M CAD gift to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation in memory of the late Allan Slaight. The Allan Slaight Breakthrough Fund will support discovery research at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; it is undesignated beyond supporting cancer research. Additionally, in recognition of the gift, the Princess Margaret Research Tower will be known as the Allan Slaight Medical Innovation Labs.
Calgary’s newly built cancer centre has received a $50M CAD donation from the Arthur J.E. Child Foundation. The donation is being recognized in the new, $1.4-billion building is now named the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
$27M CAD Donation To CancerCare Manitoba Foundation From Paul Albrechtsen Foundation – May 31, 2023
The Paul Albrechtsen Foundation, founded after the namesake’s death in 2019, donated $27M CAD to CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. The largest share of the donation, $17M CAD, will go toward the rebuild of the two-decade-old research lab facilities on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors of the CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, which is being renamed the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute. Another $4M CAD is for a suite of single-cell technology machines that allow for different analysis of how cells are reacting and interacting with each other in a tumor. In the future, this type of data will allow doctors to personalize treatment to each individual’s cancer and circumstances. An additional $2.5M CAD is for genomic sequencing, which makes it possible to develop and select personalized treatments that target the unique biology of a patient’s disease. The remaining $3.5M CAD will be used to build the Paul Albrechtsen Centre for Hope at the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre.
The QEII Foundation Received $20M CAD Gift For Cancer Care – September 28, 2022
The QEII Foundation announced a $20M CAD gift from the MacDonald family. The gift aspires to help transform cancer care at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, N. S., the specialized referral center for the Atlantic provinces. This gift will support advanced cancer care technology, such as personalized radiotherapy, a technology being developed at the QEII. This gift will also help contribute to delivering care differently, improving access and patient outcomes, reducing wait times, and attracting and retaining the brightest minds in medicine.
