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$5 million dollar donation for new South Niagara Hospital

Niagara has been blessed with a coterie of business leaders whose philanthropic largesse has enriched the region.
From left, Niagara Health Foundation president and CEO Andrea Scott, E.S. Fox Ltd. president Spencer Fox, and Mayor of Niagara Falls Jim Diodati. SUPPLIED

Niagara has been blessed with a coterie of business leaders whose philanthropic largesse has enriched the region. Tom Rankin of Rankin Construction, Mark Basciano of Mountainview Homes, brothers John and Norris Walker of Walker Industries, Steve Cohen of Salit Steel, and David Howes of Lincoln Fabrics spring to mind.

Add Spencer Fox of E.S. Fox to the list.

The third-generation president of an industrial and commercial giant, which has evolved from general construction and fabrication to nuclear technology, recently pledged $5 million over three years to the new South Niagara Hospital, part of Niagara Health Foundation’s ‘It’s Our Future’ fundraising campaign.

In recognition of the donation, the hospital’s stroke centre will be named The Fox Family Centre of Excellence for Stroke.

Construction on the new facility starts later this year, and is expected to take four years to finish. The local community needs to raise $212 million towards the hospital’s total price tag, which exceeds $1 billion. The healthcare facility will be located at the corner of Montrose and Biggar roads in Niagara Falls. Three short-listed bids are being considered by Infrastructure Ontario and Niagara Health, with the winner to be announced this fall.

Giving to health-related causes has been a tradition in the Fox family.

“My grandfather, Ted Fox, started the business in 1934. He was a plumber. My father, Eb, who was an engineer, followed in his footsteps,” said Spencer, who is also an engineer. “They started a legacy of contributing to local healthcare. And, of course, when Benjamin had his medical emergency, that factored into the donation as well.”

Benjamin is Spencer Fox’s son, who, at just 15, suffered a stroke due to a carotid artery dissection.

“He had his initial treatment here in Niagara Falls,” Fox told the Voice, “but spent a lot of time in hospitals in Hamilton and Toronto, where he received excellent care. He even had some of his recovery treatment in Buffalo. We spent a lot of time driving him for appointments, and while we were fortunate to be able to do that, we recognized that the distance would be a barrier for a lot of families. So part of this donation is simply a statement about our need for better facilities in Niagara. Without putting too negative a spin on it, I just think that Niagara is not properly served at present.”

Fox takes issue with the governance model of the region, and sees it as an impediment to offering such critical services as healthcare and transit.

“This is my way for the Fox family to do something that will serve everyone in Niagara. We need proper services here. There are 450,000 people in Niagara, and soon to be half a million. With all our towns and cities, there's never been an overall plan for Niagara. Hopefully that's changing. I think the Niagara Health System is moving towards that. And the Niagara Falls hospital is the next piece, our way of giving back to the community and establishing first-class services here, so that families don't have to go outside the region. That's it in a nutshell.”

The new 11-story hospital will cover over a million square feet, with 469 beds. The site will specialize in stroke care and provide broad treatment for aging adults, and will also be Canada’s first WELL-certified healthcare facility, a global designation that by design is aimed at ensuring health and well-being for all.

   


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Don Rickers

About the Author: Don Rickers

A life-long Niagara resident, Don Rickers worked for 35 years in university and private school education. He segued into journalism in his retirement with the Voice of Pelham, and now PelhamToday
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