On November 1, 240 guests witnessed the ribbon-cutting for UTM’s new Terrence Donnelly Health Science Complex.
The four-story complex, the newest addition to UTM’s campus, will house the Mississauga Academy of Medicine, the Department of Anthropology, and U of T’s biomedical communications program, as well as several lecture theatres, classrooms, and research labs.
Speakers at the event included Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, project donor Carlo Fidani, and the building’s namesake Terrence Donnelly.
of T president David Naylor, U of T vice-president and UTM principal Deep Saini, and vice-provost and Faculty of Medicine dean Catharine Whiteside were also present to represent the University. The project entered construction in the summer of 2009 and was a $37 million effort; the money for the project is a combination of government funding and private donations. Fidani gave $10 million to the cause while Donnelly donated an additional $12 million, the largest donation ever given UTM. Fidani’s and Donnely’s contribution will be put towards building costs and scholarships for deserving students.
“We are very grateful to the provincial government as well as Terrence Donnelly and Carlo Fidani, two great friends of the university and generous benefactors who together have made this health sciences complex a reality,” said Naylor during the event.
In addition to the research labs, lecture theatres, and medical classrooms, there will also be two new smart classrooms linking UTM’s medical academy to St. George’s campus, seamlessly delivering lectures from one campus to another through high-definition televisions.
According to Saini, the building is a both a “game-changer” and a “very prestigious new development for the campus,” which previously focused on arts and humanities.
Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Deb Matthews agreed.
“This new complex will not only provide medical students with world-class education and hands-on training, but ultimately, all Ontarians will benefit with improved access to highly skilled doctors and health care practitioners,” she said during the event.
