Founded in 1952 as the Ontario Cancer Institute

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

A princess cut the ribbon twice, three decades apart, as this hospital grew from a single 1958 building into the largest comprehensive cancer program in Canada.

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre's South Building in Toronto
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto — Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons licensed

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Princess Margaret Hospital was founded as the Ontario Cancer Institute in 1952 by the Ontario government, originally located at 500 Sherbourne Street. It was officially opened in 1958 by Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret, and renamed in her honour to mark the occasion.

A move, a merger, and a renaming

In 1995, the hospital moved to its current location on University Avenue, among the greatest concentration of teaching and research hospitals in the country. In 1998, it became part of University Health Network, merging its oncology services with those of Mount Sinai-adjacent Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals. In 2012, it was renamed the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and the program is now described as the largest comprehensive cancer program in Canada.

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