Toronto, Ontario, Friday, November 2, 2012

Thank you for your warm welcome and for inviting me to the opening of this remarkable new centre.

Today is a great day for health care in Canada, which makes it a great day for Canadians and, in fact, for people from around the world, who will benefit from the work that goes on here.

This state-of-the-art research centre has such wonderful potential to advance health care and to change lives for the better. And by harnessing the support of so many diverse partners, it also serves as a model of our ability to work together in common cause.

As governor general, I often speak of the important role that innovation can play in building a smarter, more caring Canada, and equally I have been highlighting the need to strengthen the culture of philanthropy in this country.

And, when innovation and philanthropy combine, the results can be truly wonderful—as we see today.

Time and again in my life, I have seen ideas and projects strengthened by creative partnerships. It is not merely a matter of money; rather, when people come together creatively, an important synergy occurs.

One of the great things about this centre is the breadth of research that will take place under one roof: from the study of basic cell biology to the design and testing of therapies, this facility is unique in its ability to truly see things whole.

I would also like to say how impressed I am to learn that the Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Centre will open ahead of schedule, thanks to an outpouring of philanthropic support.

Without a doubt, this institution is an example of the ability of partnerships to help us become more than the sum of our parts.

It is wonderful to think that one day soon, thanks to the many public and private supporters of this facility and the talented researchers who work here, individual human lives will be improved, extended or saved.

Simply put, we would not be here were it not for the generosity and dedication of so many people, and the prospects for medical advances in image-guided therapeutics and in breast cancer treatment would be that much dimmer.

On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my congratulations on what you have achieved together for the future of health care.

With the opening of this centre today, we take important steps towards making what was thought to be impossible, possible.

Thank you.