One Man Inspires A Community To Fight Canada's No.1 Killer

The people of Ontario will have more access than ever to the latest life-saving, minimally invasive cardiovascular treatments thanks to the visionary leadership of one of Canada's foremost philanthropists, Seymour Schulich.

Mr. Schulich has made a new $10-million investment in the heart centre that bears his name.

About a year ago, Mr. Schulich challenged Sunnybrook Foundation to raise $10 million by the end of 2008 to rebuild the Schulich Heart Centre at Sunnybrook. The Foundation did just that and Mr. Schulich has made this $10-million gift to Sunnybrook to match those donations dollar-for-dollar.

Along with $5 million previously raised, the people of Toronto and the GTA have contributed a total of $25 million to create a new, world-class, technologically advanced Schulich Heart Centre.

Today, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre announced that construction on the Centre has officially begun.

"I am so impressed by the people who rallied around my challenge," says Mr. Schulich. "Sunnybrook can't deliver world-class innovations in cardiovascular care without the support of private donors. People responded generously to this match in spite of the tough economic times. This achievement is quite remarkable.

The centerpiece of this project is the Dr. Brian W. Gilbert Cardiovascular Acute Care Unit, a state-of-the-art unit that will replace the current unit, which was built more than 40 years ago. This new facility will set national standards for patient care, feature the most advanced medical equipment, and, most importantly, will ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.