The new Cape Breton Cancer Centre in Sydney has been renamed.
Set to operate in 2026, it will be known as the Kyle Anne MacDonald Cancer Centre.
The new name was unveiled during a small gathering in Membertou on Friday.
It’s to honour a $2,000,000 gift from an Ontario-based entrepreneur with Cape Breton roots.
The namesake’s donation is the largest ever given to cancer care in the foundation’s 39-year history.
In a release, Chief Executive Officer, Harbour Grace Holdings Inc., Kyle MacDonald says, “My mother and her sister were proud daughters of Cape Breton. 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.”
MacDonald adds, “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. Together, we can make a difference.”
Director, Cancer Care, Eastern Zone, Nova Scotia Health, Valerie Nugent says, “I want to express my sincere appreciation to Kyle for her generous gift that will enable care close to home for generations. 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.”
The foundation’s CEO, Paula MacNeil says, “We are extremely honoured and grateful to receive such a transformational gift from Kyle MacDonald, who is an absolutely beautiful person. 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.”
Kyle Anne MacDonald stands beside a newly unveiled mock-up of the soon-to-be Kyle Anne MacDonald Cancer Centre. The name was unveiled during a small gathering in Membertou on August 16, 2024. (Source: Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation)
(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. (Source: Cape Breton Hospital Foundation)
A mock-up of the front of Cape Breton’s new Cancer Centre showing its new name: The Kyle Anne MacDonald Cancer Centre. (Source: Cape Breton Hospital Foundation)
According to the hospital foundation, 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.
