Barzotti Family makes $1 million gift, expanding breast cancer screening in Guelph
Guelph, ON, October 28, 2025 / — As Breast Cancer Awareness month comes to a close, the Barzotti family today announced an additional landmark gift to support healthcare locally: a $1 million commitment to The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital. The donation will help dramatically expand access to breast cancer screening for the Guelph-Wellington community, as construction nears completion for the community-based medical centre on Conestoga College’s Guelph campus.
The centre will feature a designated Breast Assessment Clinic, offering full-service care for patients from mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy and more all in a non-hospital setting equipped and staffed by Guelph General Hospital. Architectural renderings show a welcoming, inclusive setting that puts compassionate care at the centre, designed with input from patients as well as the Guelph General breast assessment team. In honour of their commitment, the new mammography suite will be named in recognition of the Barzotti family.
For more than 40 years, the Barzotti family has been a pillar of the Guelph community, exemplifying quality and craftsmanship through their business Barzotti Woodworking and their generous, decades-long support of local causes, including The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital.
For Bruna Barzotti, her husband Vince, their children and grandchildren, this gift carries special meaning. In Canada, it is estimated that one in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, and like many, the Barzotti family has been personally affected. A breast cancer survivor herself, Bruna hopes this donation will empower more women to come forward for screening and lead to earlier detection.
“The mammography department – and its ability to diagnose cancer in its early stages – holds a special place for me and my family, due to my previous battle with breast cancer,” says Bruna Barzotti. “We support Guelph General Hospital in an effort to aid the lifesaving screening it provides to patients.”
Demand for mammography procedures at Guelph General Hospital is substantially higher than other imaging modalities. With new provincial guidelines expanding breast cancer screening to include women beginning at age 40, the Hospital expects demand has increased by a further 18 per cent since last October. The additional mammogram capacity at the community-based medical centre comes at a particularly timely moment to meet this growing needs.
“Cancer has touched so many lives, and we’re deeply grateful to the Barzotti family for their remarkable gift and commitment to expanding care,” says Julie Byczynski, CEO of The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital. “I lost a dear friend to breast cancer in her forties, before screening guidelines were lowered. While we can’t know if earlier detection would have changed her outcome, we do know that increased screening capacity will lead to earlier diagnoses, better treatment, and saved lives. This is an exciting moment for our community, made possible by generous donors like the Barzottis.”
Construction and all equipment for the community-based medical centre are funded by donations. For a limited-time, these generous donations will go twice as far, thanks to a dollar-for-dollar match from FDC Foundation. Those wishing to make a donation and take advantage of the match can do so online or by calling the Foundation office at (519) 837-6422. Please specify that your gift is designated to the “community-based medical centre.”
