A few weeks ago we took you inside SickKids’ new 21-storey research tower on Bay Street just north of Dundas. The state-of-the-art Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning will house over 2,000 SickKids scientists, technicians, researchers, educators, and admin staff within its 750,000 square-feet of laboratories, common areas and six unique research “neighbourhoods”, each with their own three-storey atrium.

Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, image by Jack Landau

On Tuesday morning, the building—built largely through the generosity of those whose lives have been touched by SickKids Hospital—opened its doors, and many of the donors who made the tower possible were on hand, including philanthropist and CEO of Mattamy Homes, lead donor Peter Gilgan. 

Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, image by Jack Landau

While Mr. Gilgan’s stunning donation of $40 million led to the facility named in his honour, he is just one of the over 13,000 donors that helped bring this project together.  

Peter Gilgan honoured at the opening of the facility that bears his name, image by Jack Landau

The Diamond Schmitt Architects-designed facility was built for a cost of $400 million, with partial funding from all three levels of government. While government funding certainly played a part in the project’s construction, half of the funding – that’s $200 million – came from massive philanthropic contributions, fundraising drives, and SickKids staff, who collectively pooled over $5 million themselves.

Names of donors on the building's ground floor exterior, image by Jack Landau

“This campaign was fueled by the generosity of the community who saw the potential of bringing child health researchers together under one roof” said Ted Garrard, President and CEO or SickKids Foundation. And with the building now completed, that generosity is soon to pay off through the medical and technological advances that will undoubtedly be discovered in this facility. “This building, and the activities that will take place within these walls, symbolize our promise to continue the strong legacy of science, discovery, innovation and learning at SickKids”, said Mary Jo Haddad, President and CEO of The Hospital for Sick Children.

Mary Jo Haddad, President and CEO of The Hospital for Sick Children, image by Jack Landau

The opening included speeches from government officials, SickKids doctors and contributing donors, as well as remarks from the building’s namesake, Peter Gilgan, and the building’s designer, Don Schmitt of Diamond Schmitt Architects.

Don Schmitt, of Diamond Schmitt Architects, speaking at the building's opening, image by Craig White

Mr. Schmitt spoke of the the firm’s unique design for the building which makes use of several three-storey atrium spaces, each serving a different “research neighbourhood” with a large common area capable of putting your office’s water cooler to shame.

Three-storey atrium at the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, image by Jack Landau

Using spiral staircases to connect the grouped floors of these neighbourhoods, architects at Diamond Schmitt were able to reduce the amount of total elevators needed in the building while providing staff working in the facility with common ground meeting spaces within the research neighbourhood, which have been shown to foster the cross-pollination of ideas in academic and work settings.

Looking up from the bottom of one of the building's spiral staircases, image by Jack Landau

To officially mark the opening of the facility, the ribbon—in this case a construction paper chain—was cut by Hunter Kemp, a 6-year-old leukemia survivor and current Patient Ambassador for SickKids.

6-year-old Hunter Kemp cuts the ribbon to officially open the facility, image by Jack Landau

With the doors to this research facility now open, scientists and researchers can now accelerate their groundbreaking work in one of the most technologically advanced research centres in the world—all thanks to the multiple donors and philanthropists who funded the project. To recognize the generous donations that made the research tower possible, we include the list below of all donors who provided $1 million or more.

Panels inscribed with the names of individual donors as well as contributing families and companies, image by Jack Landau

$40 million

PETER GILGAN

$10 million or more

1 ANONYMOUS DONOR

$5,000,000 to $9,999,999

THE ESTATE OF RICHARD H. CLARK IN HONOUR OF MARGARET LIMACHER

THE DILAWRI FOUNDATION

THE GARRON FAMILY

THE HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN AND SICKKIDS FOUNDATION STAFF

MINING4LIFE: SUPPORTING MINING COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE

RALLY FOR KIDS WITH CANCER SCAVENGER CUP

SICKKIDS LEADERS

$2,500,000 to $4,999,999

COAST TO COAST AGAINST CANCER FOUNDATION AND JENNA’S ANGELS

JOHN FRANCIS AND SUSAN CASKEY

EDWARD AND SUZANNE ROGERS AND THE ROGERS FOUNDATION

$1,000,000 to $2,499,999

THE CADILLAC FAIRVIEW CORPORATION LIMITED

CARLO FIDANI FOUNDATION

MARIYAM AND BASHIR DAWOOD

IN HONOUR OF ALFREDO DE GASPERIS

THE DELANEY FAMILY FOUNDATION

AL AND ROLANDE FLOOD

HAROLD AND BERNICE GROVES

THE ROBERT HARDING FOUNDATION

HEATWAVE SPORTS INC.

PAUL B. HELLIWELL FOUNDATION

TIM AND LANA HOCKEY

WARREN IRWIN

DONALD K. JACKSON FAMILY FOUNDATION

LIZA MAUER AND ANDREW SHEINER

EARLE AND JANICE O’BORN

GAIL AND DAVID O’BRIEN

THE PITBLADO FAMILY

THE SALTER SOCIETY

IN HONOUR OF SICKKIDS NURSES

JOHN AND MELINDA THOMPSON 

UPPER UNIONVILLE GROUP

THE WOLFOND FAMILY

DONALD AND SALLY WRIGHT

Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning lit up at night, image by Craig White

Additional information and pre-construction renderings can be found at our dataBase listing, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided at the bottom of the page.