B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison has donated $75 million to the St. Paul's Hospital Foundation in Vancouver.
The St. Paul's Foundation says the donation is the largest by a private citizen to a single medical facility in Canadian history.
"Jim Pattison's gift will help us realize an exceptionally rare opportunity to build a major medical and research centre from the ground up," foundation CEO Dick Vollet said at the announcement on Tuesday morning.
Jimmy Pattison thanks St. Paul's hospital and staff for their hard work pic.twitter.com/mYtT1aU20q
— Farrah Merali (@FarrahMerali) March 28, 2017
The Pattison donation will cover more than half the previously announced costs of the megaproject.
“I am proud to donate to St. Paul’s Foundation for hospital that has been putting people first in our community for more than 120 years,” the 88-year-old Pattison said in a release.
“The new Jim Pattison Medical Centre will build on St. Paul’s Hospital’s history of serving British Columbians with excellence and compassion, and enable close collaboration among clinicians and researchers to collectively drive new standards in health care and treatment for all British Columbians.”
Dick Vollet, President/CEO of St. Paul's hospital announces Jimmy Pattison is donating $75 million to St. Paul's hospital foundation. pic.twitter.com/6tcuZVuqDX
— Farrah Merali (@FarrahMerali) March 28, 2017
Pattison is chairman and CEO of the Jim Pattison Group, Canada’s second-largest private company with $9.6 billion in annual sales. It holds assets in broadcast media, automotive, advertising, agricultural equipment, food and beverage, entertainment, exporting, financial, and real estate. His personal net worth, according to Forbes Magazine, is pegged at $4.5 billion.
