GM Canada Celebrates Anniversary

On 10th Anniversary, GM Canada President Visits Cancer Centre made possible by Employee Donations

Durham Region - - A decade ago, residents of Durham Region were required to travel far distances from their community to receive essential treatments for cancer. When the need for a hospital centre dedicated to cancer care and treatment was realized, it was the region's largest employer that stepped up to the plate.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre (DRCC), a top-ranked facility dedicated to providing residents with access to the very best care while close to home. Building the DRCC required a significant amount of support from the community to fund the construction and outfitting of the much-needed facility. 

General Motors (GM) Canada, a company whose history started in Oshawa, were stand-out contributors of the campaign. GM Canada and its employees contributed over $2.5 million to the Cancer Centre and an additional $2.8 million was donated though Unifor Local 222 (formerly Canadian Autoworkers). 

"We are extremely grateful for the support and ongoing generosity of GM Canada employees in Durham Region," says Yves Gadler, Lakeridge Health Foundation Chief Executive Officer. "The building of the Cancer Centre was a pivotal campaign in expanding our hospital and improving our community. Today, our residents have access to one of the top-ranked cancer centres in Ontario and this was made possible because the residents of Durham Region selflessly gave to the cause. On this auspicious occasion, I am thrilled to have GM Canada President Steve Carlisle on site to celebrate such an incredible gift from his organization and its past and present employees."

GM Canada President and Managing Director, Steve Carlisle, visited Lakeridge Health on Monday, June 26 to tour the hospital. "On behalf of GM Canada, I want to thank our employees and retirees for their generous contributions in support of Lakeridge Health," remarks Carlisle. "We are extremely proud to have helped create such a renowned centre of excellence for cancer care. GM Canada's commitment to innovation aligns with the hospital's drive to deliver the best treatments and expert care for patients. Having the opportunity to visit the Durham Regional Cancer Centre on its 10th anniversary is an honour given our company's history in making this exceptional facility possible."

The DRCC provides important cancer services to residents of Durham Region and beyond including prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, psycho-social oncology, palliative care and survivorship. "We are constantly seeking new and better ways to support our patients," says Matthew Anderson, President & Chief Executive Officer of Lakeridge Health. "Like GM Canada, innovation is a key driver for Lakeridge Health and the DRCC is a great example of how new treatments, clinical trials and technology are helping us provide the very best experience to the families in our community.  On behalf of our staff and physicians, I also want to extend our sincere thanks for GM Canada's support."

Each day, the Centre sees 500 patients seeking care and expertise in their own community. In recent years the DRCC has been consistently ranked among the top-three cancer centres in Ontario by Cancer Care Ontario, the government agency which oversees Ontario's 14 regional cancer programs.

Quick Facts:

  • The DRCC is a 90,000 square-foot facility that has 28 systemic treatment (chemotherapy) spaces, six Linear accelerators (radiation machines), two CT simulators and one OR/Brachytherapy Suite.
  • 500 people visit the Cancer Centre each day
  • Approximately 250 doctors and staff work at the DRCC. There are also 75 volunteers who help support patients.
  • The systemic treatment (chemotherapy) suite has approximately 1600 visits each month.
  • More than 35,000 radiation treatments are delivered each year to people living with cancer in our region, with new patients growing to more than 2,500 this year.