Vaughan honours SickKids’ legacy and contributions

A commemorative balloon sculpture is on display at City Hall to celebrate the hospital’s 150th birthday

To honour the legacy and contributions The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) has made to pediatric medicine over the past 150 years, the City of Vaughan is proud to display one of 150 public art balloon structures launched to celebrate this historic milestone. 

Unveiled today by Mayor Steven Del Duca and Members of Council, this commemorative piece will be in the atrium of Vaughan City Hall (2141 Major Mackenzie Dr.) until Saturday, June 7 – come take a look! The City has also proclaimed April 3 SickKids 150th Birthday.

To mark a century and a half of local, provincial, national and global impact and excellence in pediatric health care, SickKids has released 150 birthday balloon sculptures around Toronto, across Canada and beyond to showcase the immeasurable impact of the hospital that changed the world. Standing at just over five feet five inches tall, each three-dimensional balloon showcases one milestone moment in SickKids' storied history – from breakthrough medical discoveries to strategic global partnerships and transformative strides in clinical care. 

In 2013, SickKids launched Boomerang Health (located at Jane Street and Rutherford Road) as a new, independent and wholly owned healthcare centre in Vaughan. Boomerang Health creates more access to community-based services for babies, children and adolescents.

With initiatives such as the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital and the future York University School of Medicine, the City of Vaughan shares a commitment to healthcare excellence, innovation and community well-being, aligning with the values and achievements of SickKids. 

Further, Vaughan is a creative city that animates public space in various ways, including piloting the original art wrap program – ARTonBOXES – on traffic signal boxes in 2023. Over the next 10 years, ARTonBOXES will animate more than 100 pieces of public infrastructure. The curated theme for 2025 is the ART of HEALING, an inspired intersection of art meeting health where art plays centre stage in supporting our physical, mental and social well-being.

QUOTE

“For 150 years, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) has provided vital and lifesaving care for children in Vaughan and across the country. To celebrate this incredible milestone, the City of Vaughan is displaying a commemorative balloon sculpture at City Hall as a tribute to its enduring legacy. This will serve as a visual reminder of the organization’s ongoing commitment to providing children with exceptional care during difficult times. SickKids’ 150th birthday celebrates the many medical achievements, scientific breakthroughs and remarkable care for their patients for the last century and a half. One of those milestones was launching Boomerang Health here in Vaughan in 2013. Since then, the team has provided access to community-based services to our residents. I want to congratulate SickKids on their 150-year milestone and thank their team of healthcare professionals for working every day to improve the lives of so many.” 
- Mayor Steven Del Duca

QUICK FACTS

• In 2025, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is celebrating its 150th birthday.
• The City of Vaughan is proud to be a recipient of one of 150 balloon structures launched as part of a public art initiative commemorating SickKids’ legacy.
• Visitors can see the structure in-person in the atrium at Vaughan City Hall until June 7.
• Each three-dimensional balloon stands at just over five feet five inches tall and showcases one milestone moment in SickKids' storied history. 
• In 2013, SickKids launched Boomerang Health (located at Jane Street and Rutherford Road) as a new, independent and wholly owned healthcare centre in Vaughan.
• Boomerang Health creates more access to community-based services for babies, children and adolescents.

LEARN MORE

• Celebrate 150 years of SickKids – webpage
• Boomerang Health – webpage
• Honouring SickKids’ Legacy and Contributions on its 150th Anniversary – Mayor Steven Del Duca’s March 4, 2025 Members’s Resolution
• City of Vaughan’s Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct – webpage
• City of Vaughan’s Public Art – webpage