When Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital kicked off the campaign to expand its patient care and research facilities, donors literally came out of the woodwork. Just in time for the holidays, the Carpenter’s Union Local 27 has recently announced a one million dollar donation to help fund the construction of a new campus for the hospital network.

The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning

The union joins a growing list of ‘Catalyst Donors’ that have pledged more than $570 million to the campaign. Sick Kids hopes to raise $1.3 Billion over the next five years to build an $600 million facility on University Avenue, fund $600 million of research, and invest $100 million in new systems to better coordinate patient care. Population growth and increases in medical complexities over the last 67 years has lead to a high demand for space within the 1951-built facilities, straining the hospital’s resources to their limits. 

Because of the donations that the hospital receives, they are able to provide world-renowned care and conduct innovative pediatric research. The hospital conducted a similar campaign when the original Hospital for Sick Children was constructed. 87,000 donors contributed to that original campaign, and 85,000 Torontonians lined up to tour the facilities before they were operational. 

Rendering of the Patient Support Centre, image courtesy of SickKids.

The hospital has already submitted zoning bylaw amendments applications to build a new 22-storey Patient Support Centre as part of the campus expansion project. The new tower, located at the corner of Elm and Elizabeth Streets, would see the existing 8-storey Elizabeth McMaster building demolished. The new building would house many of the administrative and educational functions at SickKids. The B+H Architects-designed building will connect directly to the Peter Gilligan Centre for Research and Learning and to the other sections of the hospital’s campus through a series of pedestrian bridges.

Cross-section showing circulation through the SickKids campus, image courtesy of SickKids.

The fundraising campaign for a new SickKids will continue to run until March of 2022. To donate to this project visit the SickKids website. Stay tuned for further articles surrounding the construction of the new SickKids campus as the funds become secured over the coming years.