CancerCare Manitoba Foundation recipient of historic $27 million dollar donation

It’s a record-setting gift being called momentous for cancer research in Manitoba.

The CancerCare Manitoba Foundation has received a $27 million donation from the Paul Albrechtsen Foundation, which is the largest philanthropic donation given to a health care organization in the province’s history.

Here’s how it breaks down:

• $17 million will help rebuild research lab facilities, which are two decades old
• $4 million is going a set of five machines that allow for different analysis of how cells are reacting and interacting with each other in a tumour and will allow doctors to personalize treatment to each individual’s cancer
• $3.5 million goes to the a new dedicated space for the Centre for Hope in Brandon
• $2.5 million will help increase capacity for genomic sequencing

“This investment and the resulting research breakthroughs will improve the lives of patients and families across the province,” said President & CEO of CancerCare Manitoba, Dr. Sri Navaratnam.

Scott Albrechtsen, president of the Paul Albrechtsen Foundation, says this gift will honour his dad’s legacy.

“My dad loved the province, and believed in supporting all aspects of health care from research in the labs to holistic support programs to ensure Manitobans can receive the best possible care close to home.”

Paul Albrechtsen was considered one of Manitoba’s outstanding business and philanthropic leaders. Before dying in 2019, he established the foundation that has supported a wide variety of projects for years. He also founded Paul’s Hauling, which has become a key bulk transport service in Western Canada.