Why I donated $50 million to Princess Margaret Hospital
As published in the Toronto Star
As a builder, I have spent my life shaping communities across this country — creating homes and infrastructure designed to endure. I learned that true value is built through foresight, long-term planning, and the willingness to invest before the need becomes urgent.
That same mindset now informs my work in philanthropy. Over the years, I have supported hospitals, universities and research institutions because I believe social infrastructure is as essential to Canada’s prosperity as physical infrastructure. Both shape the kind of country we want to be.
Today, I see an opportunity — and an obligation — for Canada to lead in building a new kind of infrastructure: one that protects life itself. We are entering what many have called a golden era for cancer research. Advances in genomics, artificial intelligence, and precision medicine are rapidly transforming what is possible in detection, diagnosis and treatment.
At the same time, we face two enormous challenges.
By 2050, new cancer cases are projected to rise by 77 per cent worldwide, with younger generations experiencing the sharpest increases. At the same time, the research ecosystem that has driven decades of progress is under strain.
In the United States, the recent cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in cancer-related grants and the proposed 37 per cent cut to the National Cancer Institute have been described by former NIH leaders as “an unmitigated disaster.” These decisions will reverberate globally, slowing discovery and weakening collaboration.
For Canada, although this is a challenge, it is also a tremendous opportunity for our nation — a call to strengthen domestic investment and leadership in cancer research and early detection to keep the momentum alive. This is not simply a matter of scientific ambition; it is a matter of nation-building.
Canada already has a distinguished record in global cancer innovation — from Dr. Tak Mak’s discovery of the T-cell receptor, which laid the foundation for immunotherapy, to today’s advances in genomics and molecular diagnostics. Our researchers are world-class, our health-care system is universally accessible, and our population is diverse and well-suited for translational research. The pieces are in place. What is needed now is scale — and a long-term commitment to make early detection a pillar of our national health strategy.
That conviction inspired my decision to make a $50 million gift to establish the Peter Gilgan Centre for Early Cancer Detection Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Canada’s largest integrated cancer-research, teaching, and treatment institution.
The centre will focus on three core priorities: advancing our understanding of how early cancers develop; establishing Canada’s first Molecular Residual Disease Clinic to improve survival for patients with high-risk disease; and integrating genomics, AI, imaging, and blood-based “liquid biopsy” technologies into routine care to identify cancers before symptoms appear.
The rationale is straightforward. When cancer is detected early, survival rates rise dramatically, treatment is less invasive, and the cost to patients and the health-care system falls sharply. Investing in early detection is both an economic and an ethical imperative. It is preventative maintenance on a national scale — a disciplined investment that yields exponential returns in health, productivity, and quality of life.
For decades, we have built cities, roads, and power grids to sustain Canada’s growth. The next frontier of nation-building lies in the infrastructure of health — in the data networks, diagnostic tools, and research ecosystems that can help prevent disease before it takes hold.
This is Canada’s moment to lead. As others retreat from global investment in cancer research, we can demonstrate what leadership looks like: a country that builds hope — for Canadians today and for generations to come.
