On Nov. 5, 1938, the British Columbia Cancer Institute, BC Cancer’s first cancer treatment centre officially opened in Vancouver. With an anonymous gift of $50,000 to the British Columbia Cancer Foundation, the first cancer treatment centre was created.

The Institute (now known as BC Cancer) was located in a renovated house at 11th & Heather, on part of the land where the current Vancouver Centre operates today. British Columbia Cancer Institute started with a staff of three full-time and two part-time employees – today BC Cancer employs more than 3,000 staff across the province!