Ovintiv fuels innovation at Alberta Children's Hospital through $3-million gift
The Alberta Children's Hospital is establishing a new fund to promote innovation in children's health after receiving a $3-million gift from Ovintiv.
The energy company, formerly known as Encana, said in a media release that it's committed to supporting children's hospitals in markets where it lives and works.
"Our partnership with the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation is a natural fit," said Ovintiv president and CEO Brendan McCracken. "Our strategic investment is part of a larger $10-million community initiative focused on supporting children's hospitals where we live and work.
"We seek partners and programs that embody our purpose and are aligned with our values and priorities," added McCracken. "As a leading energy producer, we have the privilege of supporting the daily lifesaving work of our local children's hospitals. We're proud of the role our energy products play in making modern life possible."
One example of the type of program that could be developed through the Ovintiv Innovation Fund for Child Health is the Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Initiative (CAIR). That one came about through community support that helped it develop its first 3T Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) scanner more than a decade ago.
As a result, the Alberta Children's Hospital is among the strongest pediatric brain imaging research centres in Canada, crucial to helping assess children experiencing developmental, behavioural and emotional difficulties.
"We are so grateful to Ovintiv for this incredibly generous gift,” said Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation president and CEO, Saifa Koonar. "The Ovintiv Innovation Fund for Child Health will catalyze further advancements in critical research and care programs that support pediatric brain and mental health.
"With this investment," Koonar added, "Ovintiv is ensuring children and youth in our community and around the world will benefit from innovative treatments and cures developed right here in Calgary."
Koonar's sentiments were echoed by Dr. Catherine Lebel, PhD, a founding researcher with CAIR.
"With investments like this from Ovintiv, our team can expand to include highly-specialized technical expertise to develop world-first protocols to make MRIs faster and more accurate for even the youngest children," said Lebel. "For children, whose brains are still developing and forming essential networks that affect physical, cognitive and emotional function, the implications of disease or injury can be life-long.
"The more quickly they can be diagnosed and treated," Lebel added, "the greater the benefit on their long-term quality of life."
The donation was the second largest corporate gift in the history of the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.