Cape Breton’s new Cancer Centre renamed in honour of 2-million-dollar donor.
Cape Breton’s new Cancer Centre, expected to be completed in 2026, will open under a new name: The Kyle Anne MacDonald Cancer Centre.
This naming is in honour of a transformational gift of $2,000,000, made by the Centre’s new namesake, to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation’s Cancer Care Here at Home campaign.
MacDonald’s gift is the largest gift ever given to cancer care via the Foundation in its 39-year history. The gift is inspired by MacDonald’s late mother (Mary Ann MacDonald, née MacMullin) and aunt (Margaret Ann, née MacMullin).
“My mother and her sister were proud daughters of Cape Breton,” says Kyle MacDonald, Chief Executive Officer, Harbour Grace Holdings Inc. “Both taught their families the value of caring for their families and the communities that surround them. Which is why I am providing a donation in their memories that will help the Cancer Here at Home Campaign bring essential medical equipment and expertise to the area, with the sole purpose of bettering the lives of the people of Cape Breton.”
“I consider myself extremely fortunate to be in a position to link arms with this community and the CBRHF to help deliver Cape Breton’s first PET/CT scanner,” MacDonald continues. “Together, we can make a difference.”
Photo 2: (L-R) Brian Purchase, Board Chair, CBRHF; Mike McPhee, Cancer Care Here at Home Campaign Chair; Kyle Anne MacDonald, Harbour Grace Holdings Inc. and Cancer Centre namesake; Stan MacDonald, Past Board Chair, CBRHF; and Paula MacNeil, CEO, CBRHF. The group toured the construction site of the Kyle Anne MacDonald Cancer Centre.
MacDonald is an entrepreneur based out of Ontario, who has built, led, and sold global corporations. Her success in business fuels her philanthropic goals and passion to improve the lives of those around her.
“As director of the cancer program here in Cape Breton, I want to express my sincere appreciation to Kyle for her generous gift that will enable care close to home for generations,” says Valerie Nugent, Director, Cancer Care, Eastern Zone, Nova Scotia Health. “Carrying on her mother and aunt’s legacy of communities caring for and supporting each other aligns with the philosophy of ‘cancer care at home’ and it is very fitting the building be named in her honor.”
“We are extremely honoured and grateful to receive such a transformational gift from Kyle MacDonald, who is an absolutely beautiful person,” says Paula MacNeil, CEO, Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation. “Her passion and drive to improve communities across our country is inspiring. Her impact on cancer care in Cape Breton will be monumental and will last well into the future.”
Photo 3: A mock-up of the front of Cape Breton’s new Cancer Centre showing its new name: The Kyle Anne MacDonald Cancer Centre.
The Cancer Care Here at Home Campaign recently celebrated its closing, raising more than $15 million to support the island’s new Cancer Centre by purchasing vital equipment, funding research and innovation, and sustaining patient support programs.
The current Centre was built in 1998 to sustain 16,000 annual patient visits. Since then, visits have nearly tripled, and the Centre sees more than 45,000 patient visits each year.