OWN.CANCER

Partnering to ‘OWN.CANCER’

UCalgary, Alberta Cancer Foundation and Alberta Health Services announce $250-million fundraising campaign.

Calgary, AB – Construction on Canada’s largest, most ambitious and comprehensive stand-alone cancer centre is well underway. This is a once in a generation opportunity to transform treatment, research and patient care for this deadly disease. A new fundraising campaign launched today to help achieve the ambitious goals for the Calgary Cancer Centre so we can ‘OWN.CANCER’.

The $250-million OWN.CANCER campaign partners Alberta Health Services, Alberta Cancer Foundation and the University of Calgary to provide life-affirming supports for patients and their families, purchase cutting-edge equipment, and fund revolutionary research that will help the Calgary Cancer Centre achieve its full potential.

“The Calgary Cancer Centre is so much more than bricks and mortar. It’s an opportunity to expand our capacity to care for Albertans battling cancer, meet the growing demand for life saving cancer treatments and champion research. This state-of-the-art Cancer Centre will be home for our staff, physicians and researchers who are working hard to improve the lives of Albertans with cancer. More importantly, it will be a place for patients and their families to find comfort and care during what we know is an incredibly scary time. We couldn’t be more grateful for our philanthropic partners and their donors who are supporting this work.”

Dr. Verna Yiu, President and CEO, Alberta Health Services.

“The work we support can’t just be groundbreaking. It has to change lives. When you combine world-class talent, government funding and philanthropic support from the community we can achieve the very best things. Together we can OWN.CANCER.”

Dr. Chris Eagle, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Alberta Cancer Foundation

This 1.3-million square foot centre builds capacity to treat cancer patients and will more than double the space for clinical trials that is currently available in Calgary. It will also contain 110,000-square feet of dedicated research space. The anticipated opening date is fall 2023.

Over 200,000 Albertans are living with cancer, and one in two Albertans face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. The cancer centre is designed to be a world class facility housing international leaders in care and research that brings hope to cancer patients and their families through transformative change in the way care and treatment are provided.

“The University of Calgary is proud to partner with the Cancer Centre, deepening our already close relationship with the health care system and the community. Today, we are calling on the broader community to engage in this important campaign to help bring our innovations and discoveries to bear on prevention, treatment and care of cancer patients. Working together, we can break down barriers to ensure we have more cancer survivors than ever before.”

Dr. Ed McCauley, PhD, President and Vice-chancellor, University of Calgary

Located on the Foothills Medical Campus and next to the University of Calgary’s Foothills Campus, the cancer centre will offer an integrated approach to cancer care that can take full advantage of the university’s transdisciplinary approach to research. It is envisioned as a learning health system where we will learn from every patient, and build on that knowledge to improve treatment and care for each one that follows.

UCalgary, ACF and AHS are grateful to campaign committee volunteers and co-chairs – Heather Culbert, Deborah Yedlin and John Osler – for their commitment to help raise the $250 million to realize the vision of the cancer centre.

To be part of the transformative change in the way cancer is prevented, detected and treated join us at owncancer.ca.

Media inquiries

Sean Myers
Senior Communications Specialist
University of Calgary
[email protected]
403-561-7405

Jennifer Green
Senior Communications Advisor
Alberta Health Services
[email protected]
403-540-1088

Breanne Kraus
Interim VP, Communications & Marketing
Alberta Cancer Foundation
[email protected]
780.905.9273

About OWN.CANCER

The Calgary Cancer Centre Campaign is on a mission to OWN.CANCER by raising $250 million in support of improved research, treatment and care at Calgary’s new world-class cancer centre. This game-changing initiative is backed by three trusted community institutions: Alberta Health Services, Canada’s first and largest fully integrated provincial health system; the University of Calgary, a globally recognized leader in medical research and home to tomorrow’s health-care professionals; and the Alberta Cancer Foundation, the official fundraising partner for all 17 cancer care centres across the province. Currently under construction, the Calgary Cancer Centre will open its doors in 2023 as the largest, most comprehensive cancer centre in Canada.

To donate and learn more, visit owncancer.ca.