Humber River Health is entering a new chapter following a historic $50 million contribution from the Hennick Family Foundation, the largest single donation ever received by the hospital network. The transformational gift will support expanded clinical programs, advanced technology upgrades, research initiatives, and education efforts aimed at strengthening patient care across the region.
To recognize the contribution, the hospital’s flagship Wilson Avenue campus near Keele Street will be renamed Hennick Humber Hospital. Hospital leadership said the funding will help accelerate innovation already underway while allowing new care models and digital solutions to be introduced more quickly to serve growing community needs.
Barb Collins, President and CEO of Humber River Health, said the donation represents a significant investment in the future of healthcare delivery. She noted that the funding will support improvements in advanced medical technologies, clinical services, and research programs, while helping care teams continue delivering high quality treatment to patients across northwest Toronto and surrounding communities.
The Hennick Family Foundation, established by philanthropists Jay and Barbara Hennick, focuses its charitable work primarily on healthcare, education, and the arts. The family has previously supported several major institutions including Sinai Health, York University, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Speaking during the announcement, Jay Hennick praised hospital staff for building what he described as an innovative and compassionate institution that plays an important role in the communities where he and his wife grew up.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford attended the announcement alongside provincial officials and community leaders. Ford thanked the Hennick family for their continued philanthropic leadership and reflected on his own personal connection to the hospital, noting that he and his siblings were born at Humber River Health’s former Church Street site. He said the donation will help strengthen services for patients, families, and healthcare workers across the region.
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones also welcomed the contribution, highlighting Humber River Health’s reputation as Canada’s first fully digital hospital. Hospital leadership emphasized that technologies such as real time data systems, artificial intelligence tools, and robotics are already improving emergency department flow and surgical wait times, while allowing healthcare teams to spend more time focused directly on patients and their families.
