McCarthy Family Gifts $5 Million to Burnaby BC Cancer Centre

The BC Cancer Foundation is thrilled to announce a historic $5 million donation from the McCarthy family — well-known business leaders and philanthropists — to support the BC Cancer centre under development in Burnaby.

This remarkable contribution brings the Foundation’s $10 million fundraising campaign for the new BC Cancer centre in Burnaby past the halfway mark.

In recognition of this generosity and the McCarthy’s long-time dedication to both BC Cancer and Burnaby, the new centre will be named ‘BC Cancer – Burnaby McCarthy Centre.’ This is the first BC Cancer centre to be named in honour of philanthropic support to the BC Cancer Foundation.

“The McCarthys have been incredible advocates for bringing a BC Cancer centre to Burnaby,” says Sarah Roth, President & CEO, BC Cancer Foundation. “We’re grateful for their generosity and leadership as we bring this long-time vision of BC Cancer – Burnaby to life. I hope the community will join in support of the Foundation’s campaign to transform cancer care for the region.”

“Establishing the BC Cancer – Burnaby McCarthy Centre is a critically important milestone in the B.C. public health care landscape, promising enhanced access to state-of-the-art cancer care and treatment for local residents and beyond,” says Minister of Health Adrian Dix. “We are honoured by the BC Cancer Foundation and the McCarthy family’s support for the new cancer centre. By working together with our partners, we will see this vision come to fruition in the near future.”

The McCarthys’ Cancer Care Legacy

William (Bill) McCarthy and his son John are prominent figures in the Burnaby real estate, professional and philanthropic spheres.

John is Chair of the Board of Directors for the BC Cancer Foundation, steering the organization’s historic $500 million fundraising campaign to transform cancer care and research across B.C. Publicly launched in 2022, it’s the largest health fundraising campaign in provincial history.

“Burnaby is our home and we’re proud to give back – always,” says Bill. John adds, “This donation is not just an investment in the healthcare infrastructure of our region, but also a tribute to my great grandfather’s and my parent’s belief in the power of community. We hope this contribution inspires others to support the vital work of the BC Cancer Foundation, ensuring that the residents of Burnaby and beyond have access to world-class cancer care and treatment.”

Immigrants to Canada, their family found success in the then-emerging Burnaby real estate market and were dedicated to giving back to their new home. Three generations later, the family continues to embody that spirit of generosity, summed up in their motto “Work Hard, Live Well, Give Back.”

Bill’s grandfather John Jambor began a multi-generational legacy with the BC Cancer Foundation after his wife Joan passed from the disease in 1970.  He himself would be a cancer survivor. He gave generously for decades including establishing the John Jambor Knowledge Fund in the mid-’80s to support cancer research. In the estate plan he and Bill created, and which Bill realized over a 20 year period, he left a bequest to the BC Cancer Foundation that grew to $21.4 million and was gifted to the BC Cancer Foundation in 2012. This was the largest charitable bequest in B.C.’s history at the time.

To date the family has funded over $30 million in cancer research and education and healthcare in British Columbia.

To join the McCarthys in bringing world-class cancer care to Burnaby, visit bccancerfoundation.com/fraser