The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre has been pushing the boundaries of cancer research and treatment since the 1950s. In the mid 1990s, the Cancer Centre moved from Sherbourne and Wellesley to its current home on University Avenue's "Hospital Row", where the facility continues to wage its battle against cancer.

Part of this battle comes in the form of fundraising, and last week, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation met a major milestone, hitting the half-way point in its 5-year Billion Dollar Challenge, which aims to further the facility's research in and implementation of Personalized Cancer Medicine, made possible with the support of many donors, supporters and granters. 

The existing Princess Margaret facility on University Avenue, image courtesy of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation

With the milestone reached, The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre announced a major expansion last week, which will add 113,000 square feet of space to the campus, including 10 floors in the recently renamed Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower at the corner of College and Elizabeth Streets, part of the MaRS complex which was vacated when Sick Kids Hospital moved their researchers to their own facility last year. The expansion plans also call for the first five floors of the 610 University Avenue building to be extensively renovated to house a new area for Personalized Cancer Medicine.

The human part of the expansion has seen the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre recruit 26 cancer experts from around the globe. With their team members, the total reaches 91 new research related positions, a number set to increase to approximately 200 by the conclusion of the Billion Dollar Challenge.

Senior executives from nine of Canada's leading gold mining companies, image courtesy of CNW Group/PMCF

Last week's announcement was accompanied by the announcement of a major donation from nine of Canada's leading gold mining companies. Six gold bars weighing a total of 2,400 troy ounces and valued at over $3.28 M were presented by Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., Barrick Gold Corporation, Goldcorp Inc., IAMGOLD, Kinross Gold Corporation, New Gold Inc., Primero Mining Corp., Silver Wheaton Corp. and Yamana Gold Inc.

The gift brings the total amount donated to the Billion Dollar Challenge fund to $576 million since the project was launched in April 2012, putting it about 58 per cent of the way to the goal. The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation has raised $285 million through philanthropy, while $291 million has been secured by the facility's scientists and clinicians.