Story by: Heather Gardiner Shortly after Women’s College Hospital (WCH) moved into a residential house at 125 Rusholme Road in 1915, its staff were met with a wonderful surprise. A small group of dedicated women pledged their tireless support to ensure that the small women’s hospital would succeed. These women were WCH’s first volunteers.  Initially, the group supported the hospital through service. They sewed bed sheets, knitted baby clothes, baked bread, canned fruits and vegetables, and made jam. However, they soon realized that the small hospital was in desperate need of new medical e ..read more

On Thursday, March 7, a sold-out event of over 900 guests gathered at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to celebrate Women’s College Hospital’s 140th anniversary, and International Women’s Day. The event, Women for Women’s 2024, was presented by KPMG.  For Women’s College Hospital’s 140th anniversary, our goal was to raise $140,000 in the room during a  “fund a need” moment hosted by Layne the Auctionista. Guest enthusiasm rose as they watched their collective philanthropy also rise in real time.  We are thrilled that sponsors and guests provided a record breaking $900,000 to ..read more

Women’s College Hospital Foundation welcomes surprise transformational gift from the Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain TORONTO (MARCH 8, 2024)—The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., O.N.B surprised almost 1000 guests Thursday with her announcement of a transformational unrestricted gift to support the work of Women’s College Hospital. The gift was announced at Women’s College Hospital Foundation’s (WCHF) 13th annual Women for Women’s fundraiser. This donation announcement came during an impactful speech by Mrs. McCain, the Women for Women’s 2024 Women’s Trailblazer Award recipient, and ..read more

Women’s College Hospital (WCH) was excited to learn of January 2024 public unveiling of a bronze bust of The Honourable Lincoln Alexander in the west wing of the Ontario Legislature Building. This Black History and Black Futures Month, we are celebrating the legacy of Canada’s first Black member of Parliament, Ontario’s first Black lieutenant governor and a great friend and supporter of Women’s College Hospital.   Lincoln Alexander was born in Toronto in 1922. His mother immigrated to Canada from Jamaica and worked as a hotel maid. His father, born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ..read more

On November 20 and 21, 2023, the Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) proudly held their first, in-person summit, Pathways to Equity, presented by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health. Hosted by the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation along with fellow founding partners BC Women’s Health Foundation and Women’s College Hospital Foundation, this is the collective’s first summit in a post-pandemic era which will chart a path for the work that lies ahead seeking equity in healthcare and the advancement of women’s health research.   The two-day summit also featured the three WHCC found ..read more

On Wednesday, November 29, 2023, the inaugural Women’s College Hospital Healthcare Breakthrough Challenge took place at Women’s College Hospital (WCH) as three finalist teams pitched their groundbreaking ideas to improve care for women and equity-deserving communities.  Pitch 1: Empowering Marginalized Communities: A Co-Designed Mobile Healthcare Initiative Pitch 2: My Lung Health Coach: A Virtual COPD Self-Management Support Program Integrated Into the Electronic Patient Record Pitch 3: Transforming Healthcare Through Trauma-Informed Care Education READ MORE ABOUT THE FINALISTS’ PROJE ..read more

On November 2, 2023, the historic Arcadian Court played host to over 300 guests gathering for an evening of connection, allyship and important discussions surrounding the health and wellness of Black women. Hosted by award-winning writer and broadcast journalist, Nam Kiwanuka, this year’s sold-out Black Women’s Healthcare Summit, presented by Scotiabank, addressed some of the unique challenges that members of the Black community face due to the intersectionality of race, gender and health. Nam Kiwanuka Before diving into our two panel discussions, Dr. Modupe Tunde-Byass, OB/GYN, North York Gen ..read more

At Women’s College Hospital Foundation (WCHF), we are grateful for the generosity of community members like Tierney Courage and Andrew Bradbury, who fundraised in support of the many vital healthcare services provided by the hospital.  The couple’s annual cycling event, Metals & Mountains, returned for its second year on September 30, 2023, and raised $80,000 – over three times the amount raised by the inaugural Metals & Mountains in 2022.  “We couldn’t have predicted the response we received with this year’s event. We set some modest targets in terms of participation and fu ..read more

Written by Aaron Lam Maria Radford will never forget the whirlwind of her life in 2014 — a year defined by struggle and survival.  “Within the course of that single year, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, I underwent two months of chemotherapy and I had 25 radiation treatments.”  By the end of 2014, Maria had completed her treatment at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and she could breathe a sigh of relief, as no signs of cancer were found in her scans. She was a cancer survivor – but her journey with Women’s College Hospital (WCH) was just beginning.   Maria Radfo ..read more

Written by Heather Gardiner Written by: Heather Gardiner, WCH Archivist This Remembrance Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the brave individuals who fought to preserve peace and freedom today.   We are also thankful for the tireless efforts of those who contributed to the Canadian war effort at home, such as Women’s College Hospital’s (WCH) Dr. Alice Gray who was instrumental in helping to develop one of the most notable innovations at the Connaught Labs that has become colloquially synonymous with Allied victory – the wartime mass production of penicillin (Royal Co ..read more