Madam Speaker, Winston Churchill said that we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Today I rise to honour two Canadians for what they have given. Recently, James and Louise Temerty donated $250 million to the University of Toronto faculty of medicine through their foundation. This donation is the largest ever to a Canadian university.
The Temerty Foundation gift will support advances in machine learning in medicine and biomedical research, commercialization and entrepreneurship, equity and accessibility in medical education, the creation of a new state-of-the-art faculty of medicine building and much more.
James Temerty was born in Ukraine and came to Canada as a child after World War II. From humble beginnings, he has built a very successful entrepreneurial and business career. James and Louise have been generous philanthropists for many years, giving to a range of causes including the Royal Ontario Museum, the Royal Conservatory of Music, SickKids hospital, Sunnybrook Foundation and much more.
On behalf of our community and all Canadians, I would like to thank James and Louise for the difference they have made in the lives of countless Canadians and people around the world. I thank them for what they have given.