John Andrews Foundation the Epitome of Community Support
Published Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Message from Parker Jones Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation
Accessing healthcare in Northwestern Ontario is much different than it is in southern Ontario. Geography plays a large role, as does our relatively small population. But that doesn't mean we should have less access to care. What we deserve are more innovative ways to make accessing healthcare that much easier.
Often though, funding is the main issue. I've talked before about how generous our donors are, helping ensure that everyone has access to healthcare, no matter where in Ontario they live. It's what I call “community-supported” healthcare. It's another way we in the Northwest are unique.
John Andrews was the epitome of community support. As an industrialist, he helped build the Thunder Bay we know today. Andrews co-founded the Northland Machinery and Supply Co. Ltd., providing steel and machining services for the pulp and paper industry as well as mining, manufacturing, and providing filters for grain elevators. His ingenuity drove the local economy for many years.
But Andrews wasn't all business. He also played a major role bringing Lakehead University to Thunder Bay, including raising funds from grain companies. Later, he founded the John Andrews Foundation in 1979, setting up a legacy of community giving. So far, the John Andrews Foundation donated over $7 million to charitable organizations in Thunder Bay.
Most recently, our Hospital was the benefactor of that generosity. This month, the John Andrews Foundation announced a $500,000 gift to the Exceptional Cancer Care Campaign. The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation renewed the campaign to help raise funds for a (desperately needed) third linac, an upgraded PET/CT scanner, and renovations to bring it all together.
I would like to personally thank the John Andrews Foundation for their donation. The health of a community and region is measured in its level of healthcare, and the level of healthcare we have is measured by the support of the community. Thanks to the John Andrews Foundation's generous gift, our community and region is that much healthier.
I hope their ongoing support of Exceptional Cancer Care inspires you and others in the region to give as well. Our Radiation Therapy Department provides life-saving cancer treatments to hundreds of patients every year – treatments they can get right here in Thunder Bay. Please join the John Andrews Foundation and give what you can this Cancer Month to support more closer-to-home cancer treatment programs. You can donate to the Northern Cancer Fund online at healthsciencesfoundation.ca/donate or call our Donation Centre at 807-345-4673 to make your donation by phone.
Thank you to all who have made a contribution to our Hospital, big or small. Every donation helps us bring more and more closer-to-home care to our communities.
Parker Jones
Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation