Jim Pattison donates $50M to Saskatchewan Children’s Hospital

SASKATOON – Canadian businessman and philanthropist Jim Pattison, has made another significant donation to health care in western Canada. 

This time, it’s $50 million to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.

Pattison is the owner of Pattison broadcasting, which includes Red Deer radio stations BIG 105 and 106.7 The Drive, as well as rdnewsNOW.

The $50 Million is the largest single donation to a charitable organization in Saskatchewan’s history.  In honour of the gift, the new hospital will be called the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. The foundation is also changing its name to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who was on hand for the announcement on Tuesday (May 30) , expressed gratitude and appreciation for the gift.

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“Mr. Pattison’s generous donation… will ensure that a world-class children’s hospital will finally become a reality in Saskatchewan,” Wall said.

“We are tremendously grateful for this visionary gift, which will help us achieve long-term, stable funding to help create a world-class, medical and research centre of excellence for Saskatchewan children, moms, and families right here at home,” Brynn Boback-Lane, President and CEO of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, said.

“Mr. Pattison brings with him today funds for new research initiatives, immeasurable support for endowment and fellowships and the ability for the Foundation to ensure that the right equipment and enhancements are in place for Saskatchewan’s youngest patients and moms-to-be,” Boback-Lynne said.

Pattison is a Vancouver-based businessman and philanthropist originally from Luseland, Saskatchewan.

He is founder, chairman and chief executive officer of the Jim Pattison Group, the second-largest privately-held company in Canada.

Construction of the new 176 bed is expected to be complete in 2019. The Saskatchewan government is contributing $235.5 million toward the total project cost of $285.2 million, and $21.4 million will come from interest in investments by the Saskatoon Health Region.

On March 28, 2017, it was also announced that Pattison had donated $75 million to the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation in Vancouver, making it the largest donation by a private citizen to a single medical facility in Canadian history.

(Dori Modney – Lethbridge News Now, with file from BattlefordsNOW and CKOM)