MONTREAL, February 24, 2010 – Caisse Desjardins Lachine / Saint-Pierre and Caisse populaire Desjardins Provost de Lachine – have announced a combined donation of $100,000 to the Lachine Hospital Foundation for The Best Care for Life Campaign. The funds will be used to support the modernization of infrastructure and the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment for the Lachine Campus of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
"With this generous contribution from the two Lachine Caisse Desjardins, we’re seeing more proof of just how much the Lachine Campus contributes to this community’s health," says the Hon. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO of the MUHC. "When people invest in their hospitals, they build on a vibrant history of caring and help us meet the health needs of their community’s next generation.”
“At Desjardins, we not only recognize the importance of the Lachine Hospital in serving the entire population of Lachine and Dorval, but also the transformation into the Lachine Campus of the MUHC,” says Guy Lemieux, general manager of the Caisse Desjardins Lachine/St-Pierre. “We are proud to make a pledge that will help provide better care to the community.”
“Our support of the Lachine Hospital Foundation and The Best Care for Life Campaign is an extension of our commitment to the community and to the health and well-being of Montrealers,” says Mr. Pierre Beaudin, general manager of the Caisse populaire Desjardins Provost de Lachine. “We believe in sustainable investments and supporting our community, and we are proud to contribute to this essential and leading-edge project.”
“The Lachine Hospital Foundation is delighted that these two Caisse Desjardins have committed themselves in equipping the Lachine Campus with a better platform to ensure high level health services. This contribution will take us one step closer to our $3 million target for the Lachine portion of The Best Care for Life Campaign,” said Jacques Filion, Chairman of the Lachine Hospital Foundation.
“The community has been incredibly generous, and we are so appreciative,” says Claude Dauphin, Mayor of Lachine and Honourary Chairman of the Lachine Division of The Best Care for Life Campaign. “We are especially grateful for the $100,000 pledged by Desjardins. Their contribution makes a real difference and helps us continue to grow together as a community.”
About Desjardins
Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada, and the sixth largest in the world, with overall assets of $163 billion. Drawing on the strength of its caisse network in Québec and Ontario, as well as its subsidiaries, several of which are active throughout Canada, Desjardins offers a full range of financial products and services to its 5.8 million individual and business members and clients. Desjardins Group is also home to a wealth of expertise in property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance, wealth management, services for businesses of all sizes, securities brokerage, venture capital, asset management and secure leading-edge virtual access methods, all part of an integrated offer that is the only one of its kind in Canada. One of the largest employers in the country, Desjardins is backed by the knowledge and skills of its 42,000 employees and the commitment of its 6,300 elected officers. To find out more, go to www.desjardins.com. The Lachine community of 43 000 residents is served by two Desjardins Caisses: the Caisse Desjardins Lachine/Saint-Pierre employes 44 people in 4 locations and manages approximately 250$ million of assets whereby the Caisse Provost of Lachine with 40 employes operates in 2 locations and manages approximately $200 million of assets.
About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)
The MUHC is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. Its partner hospitals are The Montreal Children's Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital and Institute, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Lachine Hospital. The goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge. www.muhc.ca.
About the MUHC Redevelopment Project
Guided by its mission and its role as co-leaders of the McGill integrated university hospital network, the MUHC is carrying out a $2.2-billion Redevelopment Project that will help the Government achieve its vision for academic medicine in Quebec. Excellence in patient care, research, education and technology assessment will be fostered on three state-of-the-art campuses—The Mountain, the Glen and Lachine—and through strong relationships with healthcare partners. Each LEED®-registered campus will be designed to provide patients and their families with “The Best Care for Life” in a healing environment that is anchored in best sustainable development practices, including BOMA BESt guidelines. www.muhc.ca/construction
About The Best Care for Life Campaign
The $300-million Best Care for Life Campaign is an unprecedented philanthropic effort aimed at raising the funds needed to complete the McGill University Health Centre’s Redevelopment Project at the Glen, Mountain and Lachine campuses as well as the Capital Development Plan. It is a partnership of the MUHC foundations: MUHC Foundation, Cedars Cancer Institute, Lachine Hospital Foundation, Montreal Chest Institute Foundation, Montreal General Hospital Foundation, Montreal Neurological Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital Foundation, and The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation through its Best Care for Children Campaign. www.muhc.ca/cause