ANTIGONISH: An exciting new era for health research and healthcare in rural Nova Scotia has begun.
Leaders in education, government, and philanthropy gathered to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Hall at St. Francis Xavier University on July 5, marking the start of construction for the Victor and Mona Dahdaleh Institute for Innovation in Health.
This highly anticipated facility will serve as a hub for health research on the Antigonish campus and a catalyst for transformative changes in healthcare support. Positioned at the crossroads of research and practice, academia and public health, the Institute for Innovation in Health aims to address the health challenges faced by rural Nova Scotians.
StFX President and Vice-Chancellor Andy Hakin, along with Dr. Victor ’15 and Mona Dahdaleh and representatives from the provincial and federal government, commemorated the occasion.
“This will be a place where faculty, students, and health practitioners come together to improve the health and wellness of Nova Scotians,” Hakin said. “I want to recognize Dr. Victor and Mona Dahdaleh for their generous support, as well as the provincial and federal governments for their investment in supporting health research and rural healthcare.”
StFX currently has over 75 faculty members conducting health-related research, much of which focuses on the social determinants of health to reduce the need for acute medical care, while approximately 40 per cent of StFX students are enrolled in health-oriented disciplines.
Dr. Victor Dahdaleh shared his excitement about the new Institute for Innovation in Health at StFX, dawning the namesake of him and his wife, emphasizing its role in preparing future health providers and developing solutions to today’s healthcare needs.
“I was initially inspired to get involved in this project by the Nova Scotia Government, who face the challenge of healthcare head-on,” he said. “Here, students will prepare to be future health providers; while world class researchers will develop solutions to today’s healthcare needs, having a broad impact on health in rural areas of Nova Scotia, Canada, and beyond.”
Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson highlighted the Institute for Innovation in Health’s focus on health promotion and prevention, education and training, and innovative health and wellness strategies.
“Health promotion and prevention are just as important as improving access to care or recruitment and retention,” Minister Thompson said. “This institute will focus on the root causes of poor health and related issues, offer education and training, and test and try new ways of promoting health and wellness – all of which will help Nova Scotians reduce, prevent or better manage their medical concerns.”
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and MP for Central Nova, praised the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Hall as an incubator for health research that will support economic growth and enhance healthcare responsiveness.
“It’s great to be here for the sod turning of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Hall, which will be home to the Institute for Innovation in Health,” Fraser said, who joked everybody was gathered in the old location of his former dorm room in Lane Hall – which was demolished for said development. “This facility will be an incubator for health research that will support research and discovery. Investments like this are good for our economy and will help grow our ability to respond to healthcare needs.”
The announcement of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Hall was first made in April 2023, during ‘A Night for the Blue and White Gala’ at the Halifax Convention Centre. The Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Charitable Foundation donated $15 million to the project – the largest private donation ever received in StFX’s history.
Additionally, the Province of Nova Scotia contributed $37.4 million to support the research institute, and the federal government provided $8 million for the Xaverian Commons project, which includes the new hall.
Preliminary infrastructure work will begin this summer, with the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Hall expected to open in winter 2027.