Peter Gilgan's 50 Million Gift Will Transform Early Cancer Detection
In November 2025, Peter Gilgan, through the Peter Gilgan Foundation, made a historic $50 million donation to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, the largest single gift ever made to
support early cancer detection in North America.
The donation is being used to establish the Peter Gilgan Centre for Early Cancer Detection Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto – the largest program of its kind in the world.
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with many cases diagnosed at an advanced stage. Early detection is critical to improving outcomes, and this new centre will help revolutionize cancer care by identifying the disease when treatment is most likely to succeed.
The centre will focus on three interconnected pillars:
- Understanding how cancer starts and develops, so new ways to detect it early can be found.
- Developing new technologies to find cancer in its earliest stages, improving treatment for all patients.
- Creating a world-leading program at Princess Margaret to trial and implement new discoveries, including the most ambitious molecular residual disease (MRD) program ever launched.
Gilgan’s commitment to health care has already made a lasting impact, and this new initiative will accelerate research and innovation, helping more people live longer, healthier lives.
"Cancer is a cause that has touched my family and loved ones, and it affects far too many people. Now is the time to invest in world-class research and innovation. I am compelled to make this significant gift to establish a centre of this kind, one that will strengthen our country's research and catalyze better outcomes that will create a lasting impact on patients here in Canada and around the world."
- Peter Gilgan, Founder of Mattamy Homes
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