May 10, 2021 – North Vancouver, B.C. – A $2.65 million gift from Seaspan North Vancouver and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation to Lions Gate Hospital will have a major impact on critical and virtual care services across the North Shore and beyond.
A portion of the donation – $1.5 million – has been directed to the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation’s Critical Care Campaign. With this significant gift, the Foundation has surpassed its goal to raise $9.4 million to build the specialist unit which is expected to treat up to 1,400 seriously ill patients a year.
“I am delighted to present this gift on behalf of the thousands of employees at Seaspan who live in British Columbia, and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation – which my parents started over 30 years ago. Everyone at Lions Gate Hospital is doing a great job through this pandemic, and as always you are providing unbelievable service,” says Kyle Washington, Executive Chairman, Seaspan ULC.
Judy Savage, President and CEO of LGH Foundation says: “We are extremely grateful for this timely contribution from Seaspan and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. There has never been a greater need for critical care services in our community and this donation ensures that Lions Gate Hospital can move forward with the project that will provide advanced care to patients with complex and challenging health issues. Their generosity will make a difference in people’s lives for many years to come.”
The new unit will feature 12 single patient rooms equipped with the latest monitoring and support equipment. It will also be staffed by specialized critical care staff.
Demolition work has just started on the second floor at LGH and the project is expected to be completed in early 2022.
The Seaspan gift also includes a $1.15 million investment in virtual care that will enable LGH to improve access to services for patients across the North Shore, the Sea-to-Sky communities of Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton, the Sunshine Coast communities of Sechelt, Powell River and the rural communities of Bella Bella and Bella Coola, through video visits, home health monitoring, and secure messaging as well as the adoption of new virtual health platforms.
“This commitment is a direct reflection of who we are and what we strive to be as an engaged, supportive and committed company to our employees and to our community,” says Mark Lamarre, CEO Seaspan Shipyards.
Sylvie Normandeau, VP Human Resources, Seaspan ULC says, “It is my great pleasure to extend Seaspan’s commitment and philosophy of engagement to the local community we live in, through this gift of $2.65 million. Seaspan represents 3,100 employees. Many are grateful of the healthcare provided – either to themselves or to loved ones – by the incredible teams at Lions Gate Hospital.”
“Supporting a healthy community – particularly during the present challenges of Covid – has helped confirm the importance of the high-quality healthcare provided by Lions Gate Hospital. This gift recognizes the care that your teams provide to communities so selflessly each and every day, and ensure we stay healthy and well,” says Frank Butzelaar, CEO, Seaspan Marine Transportation.