Eliminating barriers to health care for 40 years.

The ‘Labatt Relay for Life’ was the first community-led fundraiser held in support of our Foundation, raising an astounding $151,815.00 for the Pediatrics Unit. The event went on for seven consecutive years, raising a total of $1.28 million. Now, our Foundation sees an average of 80 community-led fundraisers each year, contributing more than $1 million annually.

In 1991, the Foundation established its first official fund: Area of Greatest Need. This flexible fund allows donor support to be directed where it’s needed most, helping to meet the highest priority needs of the CBRH.

Today, the Foundation has more than 30 active funds that help to strengthen specific areas of health care at the CBRH, each reflecting the generosity and intention of donors.

In 1995, the newly built Cape Breton Regional Hospital opened its doors, replacing the Cape Breton Hospital, Sydney City Hospital, and Sydney Community Health Centre.

Today, the CBRH sees approximately 600,000 patient-visits per year and is the main referral and trauma centre for our Island. The Hospital offers emergency services, ambulatory care, palliative care, pediatrics, general and specialized medical and surgical care, diagnostic imaging, cardio/pulmonary/neuro services, clinical support services, mental health and addiction services and more.

The Cape Breton Cancer Centre opened in 1998 to support patients and families across Cape Breton – Unama’ki. It was originally designed to accommodate approximately 16,000 patient-visits each year. Today, the Centre sees more than 45,000 visits annually.

To meet this growing need, a new cancer centre is now under construction and will open under a new name – the Kyle Anne MacDonald Cancer Centre – in honour of a transformational $2 million gift, the largest ever made to cancer care through our Foundation.

In 2002, the Province of Nova Scotia announced the first-ever MRI for the CBRH and the Island. The province provided $2.3 million, and our Foundation led a capital campaign to raise the remaining $1 million for renovations and a portion of equipment costs.

The MRI was fully funded and installed at the CBRH in 2003, and reduced MRI wait times from 65 days to less than 35 days and eliminated the need for travel to Halifax.

In 2005, the Cancer Patient Care Fund began. The fund was created by Tom McNeil, a longtime social worker at the Cape Breton Cancer Centre, who recognized the significant financial burdens faced by cancer patients across our region.

What started as a grassroots effort to help patients with costs like travel, groceries, and utilities quickly became a vital and growing part of our Foundation’s work.

In 2021, when Tom retired, the fund was renamed the Tom McNeil Cancer Patient Care Fund, in his honour. Today, the fund supports 75 – 100 patients each month and has inspired several additional patient support funds. In 2024, the Foundation was able to support more than 2,700 individuals throughout all patient support funds.

In 2009, recognizing the growing demand for cancer care, the Foundation joined provincial and federal partners to support a major expansion of the Cape Breton Cancer Centre.

The provincial government pledged $8 million and, thanks to generous local donations, nearly $5.5 million was raised through community support and the Foundation’s campaign. The expansion added a second linear accelerator, a CT simulator, more treatment space, and ambulance bays.

The Mental Health and Addictions Major Gift Campaign was announced in 2013 with the goal of raising $1.35 million to support critical services across our region. With the Cape Breton Mental Health Foundation offering a generous $675,000.00 matching gift, donors helped fund a mobile outreach program for at-risk youth, housing support, patient transportation, and wellness-focused improvements in inpatient care.

That same year, the Foundation introduced the Pediatrics TLC Fund to support Cape Breton families with children receiving care. From parking passes and travel costs, to diapers, meal vouchers, and personal items, the fund continues to ease the everyday stress of having a child in hospital for more than 30 families each month.

In 2015, donors came together to fully fund and install a new linear accelerator at the Cape Breton Cancer Centre. The new machine, capable of delivering advanced radiation therapy, was housed in a newly constructed concrete bunker and reduced the need for patients to travel for complex treatments.

That same year saw the launch of Caleb’s Courage, a movement established in loving memory of forever 3-year-old Caleb William MacArthur. Led by Caleb’s parents Nicole and Mike MacArthur and built on donor support, this initiative honours Caleb’s superhero spirit and supports children facing critical illness in Cape Breton, adding important resources to pediatric oncology and palliative care.

In 2016, the Foundation introduced its first patient care packages – Mom & Baby Bag – inspired by Erin and James Forsey and designed for new and expectant parents. With a goal of helping the transition from hospital to home, these bags include diapers, newborn healthcare kits, Orajel, Tylenol, wash, wipes, books and more.

These packages have since served as inspiration for other areas of care. ‘Forget Me Not Packages’, created in partnership with Petra Buis, provide comfort to families navigating pregnancy loss. And more recently, Teal to Heal Packages began under the leadership of Dena Edwards Wadden and are offered monthly to patients facing gynecological cancers.

In 2019, the Foundation fully funded a Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) – an advanced form of radiation treatment – to the Cape Breton Cancer Centre. Thanks to community generosity and the leadership of the late Brenda McCarthy and her “Circle of Friends,” more than $300,000.00 was raised to bring this “accelerated and ultra‑precise” therapy to town.

This investment means patients can receive leading-edge care without leaving the Island.

In 2021, thanks to the collective generosity of our community during Radio Day, the Foundation fully funded two new echocardiogram machines for the CBRH. These machines perform essential testing such as strain evaluations needed before cancer treatments and serve over 5,000 cardiovascular and 50 monthly cancer patients.

That same year, the Foundation launched the Mental Health & Addictions Patient Care Fund to help individuals facing financial barriers to treatment. Since its launch that May, the Fund has helped cover prescriptions, winter clothing, travel, dental work, recreational therapy support, and more.

In 2022, Dena Edwards Wadden transformed her own ovarian cancer journey into a movement of hope for others in Cape Breton – Unama’ki. She launched Teal to Heal Cape Breton, a Mother’s Day walk and run supporting those affected by gynecological cancers.

Raising nearly $800,000.00 in three years, Teal to Heal is supporting vital equipment purchases, funding research and innovation, and offers direct patient support.

In 2023, the Foundation – working with medical social workers – introduced the Vital Patient‑Care Fund to meet the needs of patients on every floor of the CBRH.

The Vital Patient‑Care Fund provides practical supports to help more than 30 patients each month. It addresses needs such as emergency travel, accessibility rentals, clean clothing for discharge, medications, and other essentials to support health and recovery.

In June 2024, the Cancer Care Here at Home campaign – the largest in our history – officially closed, raising over $15 million in gifts and pledges to support the new Cape Breton Cancer Centre, which is currently under construction.

During the celebration event held in Membertou, Premier Tim Houston announced Cape Breton will receive its first-ever PET‑CT scanner, funded through a partnership between Province of Nova Scotia and our Foundation.

It is estimated that by 2026, more than 800 Cape Bretoners will need to travel to Halifax for a PET-CT. Meaning once installed, this vital piece of equipment will save Cape Bretoners significant travel costs and time, during some of their scariest days.

We continue to be inspired by the same community spirit that led to the creation of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, as we aim to eliminate barriers to health care in Cape Breton – Unama’ki.

View our 2024-2026 Strategic Plan to learn more about our vision for the future.

Or, become a part of our history by donating today.