Statement from Terry Fox Research Institute regarding the Federal Budget 2025 and the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network

This is a great day for cancer research in Canada and, more importantly, for the health of all Canadians! We sincerely thank the Government of Canada for its ongoing commitment to improve the lives of Canadians diagnosed with cancer through the work of the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network.

With today’s announcement of $80-million over four years for the project (effective Fiscal Year 26-27), the federal government signals and demonstrates its confidence in the Network and its mission and vision to accelerate precision medicine across our country to improve survival and quality of life for Canadians diagnosed with cancer.

This funding enables us to build on the remarkable success of Phase 1, in which we united patients, researchers, clinicians and administrators from 53 member institutions and over 100 funding and research partners across the country under a single vision: to accelerate precision medicine for the benefit of cancer patients in Canada. Over the last five years, this unprecedented collaboration allowed us to build Canada’s largest and most complete cancer case resource, the Gold Cohort, which today consists of data from 12,942 diverse cancer patients treated across the country and will reach its goal of 15,000 by March 31, 2026, when this phase is concluded. This resource will help unlock discoveries that benefit cancer patients in Canada for generations to come.

The Government’s commitment to fund Phase 2 is welcome news to all Network members and supporters from coast to coast. We are at the crossroads of a new era in cancer research for Canadians which will help to make precision oncology a reality for all who live here. With funding for Phase 2, we will focus on our goal of providing patients with equitable access to the best cancer care and treatment available no matter who they are, or where they live in Canada.

We are excited to continue working with the research community, as well as our partners and funders, including the Terry Fox Foundation, on Phase 2 of the Network. We are convinced that this collaboration is one of the most important national infrastructure projects ever to be undertaken in Canada.  We extend our sincerest gratitude to the entire MOHCCN community, including the members of our Patient Working Group, for their commitment and dedication to the Network, and we look forward to continuing working together to finish the marathon against cancer that Terry Fox started in 1980.

Learn more about our plans for Phase 2, here.

Quotes from Network members about the Federal Budget 2025:

“Terry once said: ‘I am only one member of the Marathon of Hope’. The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network is a union of cancer research centres, researchers, fundraisers, funders, donors and patients coming together to introduce precision medicine to every Canadian.  This is the ultimate way to acknowledge Terry's legacy and respond to his words that "the Marathon of Hope better continue without me."

• Darrell Fox, Senior Advisor, Terry Fox Research Institute, and younger brother of Terry Fox
  

“More than 45 years ago, Terry Fox inspired Canadians with a powerful message: by working together, we can achieve extraordinary things — including advancing care for cancer patients and moving closer to making cancer a thing of the past. Canada has embraced this vision, and it’s truly uplifting to see the federal government continuing to support the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network. This initiative is a shining example of Canadian collaboration — created by Canadians, for Canadians — and it’s something we can all take pride in.”

• Dr. André Veillette, Executive Director, Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network
  

“This investment by the Government of Canada represents a pivotal moment for cancer research in our country. Cancer affects all Canadians and we know that complex problems require bold, collaborative efforts to unlock breakthroughs. The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network stands out as one of the greatest research opportunities in Canada, a uniquely powerful platform that unites world-class researchers and clinicians, strengthened by the power of philanthropy and donors, to accelerate precision oncology and improve outcomes for Canadians wherever they live.”

•  Michael Mazza, CEO, Terry Fox Foundation

"As a cancer patient and parent, I applaud the federal government's dedication to innovative research and prioritizing patient needs. I commend its leadership in investing in Canadians’ health, securing improved cancer care for today and for generations to come.”

• Natalie A-K, MBA, CPA-CMA, de novo stage 4 breast cancer patient and MOHCCN Patient Working Group and Network Council member

“This tremendous announcement allows us to continue our ambition to bring forward new treatment opportunities for cancer patients through the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network. The groundbreaking collective work of our researchers, clinicians, many partners and patients can continue with energy and passion - thank you so very much!”

• Marco Marra, OC, Terry Fox Leader in Cancer Genome Science, Distinguished Scientist, BC Cancer Research Institute , Professor of Medical Genetics and the Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Co-Lead, BC Cancer Consortium, Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network
  

“We are thrilled that the Government of Canada is continuing its investment in the MOHCCN and its partnership with Canadian cancer centres. Princess Margaret Cancer Centre at UHN is an enthusiastic supporter of the network and looks forward to implementing Phase 2 to make treatments more precise and effective for cancer patients around the world.”

• Brad Wouters, Executive Vice President of Science and Research, UHN, MOHCCN Network Council Member

“This federal investment marks a pivotal moment for the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network. It strengthens our national commitment to precision oncology and builds on the success of Phase 1, accelerating our ability to deliver more personalized, data-driven cancer care to Canadians.”

• Dr. Philippe Bedard, Clinician Investigator, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Cancer Clinical Research Unit (CCRU), Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, MOHCCN Network Council Member
  

“The MOH-Q consortium is proud to participate in the Marathon of Hope Network supporting precision medicine in oncology. Terry Fox showed us how collective effort can bolster research funding, and we are inspired by him in our pan-Canadian fight against this disease that affects so many Canadians.”

• Dr. Anne-Marie Mes-Masson, Associate scientific director of Basic and translational research, CRCHUM, Full professor, Department of medicine, Université de Montréal, Director, Cancer research network, FRQS, co-lead Marathon of Hope - Quebec
  

“The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network, which is uniting Canadian researchers and clinicians from coast to coast, has already shown how national collaboration can transform patient care. This renewed funding will amplify our ability to harness genomics and data science for precision oncology, ensuring discoveries reach patients faster than ever before.”

• Morag Park, Principal Investigator, Goodman Cancer Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, co-lead Marathon of Hope - Quebec

“The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network is transformative and nation-building. Together we are working very hard to continue Terry Fox’s mission to seek better cancer treatments through research. The Network is bringing advances in laboratory-based cancer research to patients and their clinical teams across Canada, at a scale and pace that simply couldn’t happen otherwise. We are very grateful for the remarkable contributions of Canadians and our federal government as major contributors to this work.”

•  Dr. Anthony (Tony) Reiman, Medical oncologist at the Saint John Regional Hospital, Professor in the Department of Medicine at Dalhousie University, the Canadian Cancer Society Research Chair at the University of New Brunswick, Senior Scientist of the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, MOHCCN Network Council