McMaster opens spinal cord injury, cancer centres

McMaster opened its WB Family Foundation Centre for Spinal Cord Research and  Rehabilitation and Centre for Cancer Education, Research and Rehabilitation Wednesday.

Patrick Deane, the University’s President, was joined by David Sweet, MP for Ancaster- Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale and Ted McMeekin, Minister of Agriculture, Food and  Rural Affairs and MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale in opening the new  facility.

The project received an $8.25 million investment through the Government of Canada‘s Knowledge Infrastructure Program and a matching contribution from the provincial government through the 2009 budget. An additional $3.5 million was contributed by  University donors.

In Ontario, the Knowledge Infrastructure Program represents a total investment of  nearly $2.4 billion to improve infrastructure at post-secondary institutions. The federal  government invested $798.6 million in 56 KIP projects, while the Province of Ontario  provided $981 million toward 49 of those projects. Other partners contributed an  additional $569 million. The province also invested $75 million for another eight  projects.

“Our government’s investment in post-secondary infrastructure has given McMaster students and researchers the facilities they need to be global leaders in their fields,”  said Sweet. “This project will allow Mac to strengthen its capacity and build on its  reputation as a leading institution of higher learning.”

“The Ontario government’s investment in McMaster University’s two new centres has helped create 40 new jobs here in Hamilton in the short-term and has given students,  staff and researchers the facilities they need to keep Ontario at the forefront of health  and education,” said McMeekin.

Additional funding for the expansion came from private donors, including $2.5-million from Robert Beamish and the WB Family Foundation, set up by Robert and Marilyn Beamish, their children and representatives of Woodbridge Corporation. The Foundation supports health care and medical research initiatives. The donation will create the WB Family Foundation Centre for Spinal Cord Research and Rehabilitation.

The Robert Fitzhenry Specialized Rehabilitation and Exercise Lab is being named in honor of Fitzhenry – a McMaster alumnus – who donated $1-million to the project. Fitzhenry graduated with an honours BA degree in political economy in 1954 and went on with Beamish to build the Woodbridge Corporation into a world-leading business in the international high-tech manufacturing sector. He has been a longtime supporter of McMaster, directing funds to priorities including the stadium and the McMaster vector lab, which provides the delivery agents used to transport gene therapies or vaccines in patients.

And $250,000, donated by the McCall MacBain Foundation, headed by McMaster alumna Marcy McCall MacBain, will create the McCall MacBain Foundation Neurophysiology Lab.

“We are grateful to have received the funding to build these new and vital facilities,” said  Patrick Deane. “To be able to serve our community through teaching and research with the goal of preventing and alleviating suffering in our fellow citizens is  among our highest aspirations.”

The new facilities for the Centre for Spinal Cord Injury Education, Research and Rehabilitation and the Centre for Cancer Education, Research and Rehabilitation  includes approximately 20,000 square feet for laboratory research, teaching, exercise and  rehabilitation.

The new centres will substantially increase teaching and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and for faculty members from departments  across campus and from Hamilton hospitals. These new facilities will be an attraction  for top national and international researchers and students.

As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada introduced the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a $2-billion economic stimulus measure to maintain  and improve research and training facilities at Canadian universities, colleges and  CEGEPs. The program provided economic stimulus, created jobs, and generated the  advanced technological infrastructure needed to keep Canadian institutions at the  forefront of scientific advancement and ensure economic growth in the future.

The Government of Ontario invested more than $1 billion in infrastructure at colleges and universities to modernize facilities and boost long-term research and skills training  capacity.

This investment was part of the government’s plan to help to build the most highly  skilled and educated workforce in the world, giving Ontario the competitive edge in  securing a strong economy for the future.