TMHC member, Christopher Rutty, played a leading role in the naming of a major new building at the Sanofi Toronto site (formerly Connaught Laboratories) the “Charles Best Building,” designed for the production of influenza vaccines and potential pandemic vaccines.
Best known as co-discoverer of insulin in 1921-22, with Frederick Banting, J.B Collip and J.J.R. Macleod, Charles Best played a pioneering role in the development and production of insulin at Connaught Laboratories, part of the University of Toronto until 1972. Connaught’s legacy continues at the Sanofi Toronto site.
Through leadership positions at Connaught and U of T, Best initiated several major research projects during the 1930s, most notably the development of heparin to control blood coagulation. During World War II, Best pioneered a program of blood donations for the preparation of dried blood serum to treat shock in war casualties.
Best maintained close connections with Connaught and often rode his horse around the site. In 1970, he attended the opening of Building 86, originally designed for insulin production. Building 86 stood until 2021 to make way for Building 200, its naming after Charles Best reflecting a deep professional, public health, and personal relationship with this site.
The official naming of Building 200 as the Charles Best Building took place on August 18, 2026, and was attended by several members of the Best family, including his grandchildren, Melinda Best, Margaret Best, Charley Best and Bruce Best, and his great-grandchildren, Charlotte and Freda Best.
The event included the unveiling of a special plaque and viewing a historical panel in the lobby about the Building 200 Site Legacy. There was also a tour of the site and its Heritage Room led by Christopher Rutty, the site’s “Resident Historian,” who also presented a short biography about Charles Best, emphasizing his legacy and deep connection to what today is the Sanofi Toronto site.
The Charles Best Building was officially opened on September 16, 2026. This $925 million expansion adds end-to-end vaccine manufacturing capacity on Canadian soil. It was built in partnership with the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto to strengthen Canada’s vaccine biomanufacturing capabilities and support its response to future flu pandemics. See the PR Newswire Story for further details.
