Ottawa’s Ronald McDonald House earns $9M from feds
Ottawa’s Ronald McDonald House has received a major injection of cash from the federal government to support its efforts to expand its regional home.
Federal officials pledged more than $9.3 million to support construction of a new, accessible net-zero carbon building to meet the current and future needs of families travelling to seek medical care.
Earlier this year, Ronald McDonald House Charities Ottawa announced plans to build an $18.9-million expansion to its facilities at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. The plans call for the facility to grow to nearly 25,000 square feet and increase the number of bedrooms from 14 to 22.
"The Government of Canada's investment in expanding Ronald McDonald House will help it to grow its services and support more families whose children are facing serious illness,” said Ottawa South MP David McGuinty. “We are proud to support the work of this important organization.”
This investment will help RMH Ottawa to accommodate more families at once and offer services to families that live closer to Ottawa. In addition, the new facility will be constructed to the Canada Green Building Council's Zero Carbon Building standard, reducing its impact on the environment, while helping it to be more resilient to power outages and changes in energy prices.
Federal funding is being provided through the Government of Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program. The program commits $1.5 billion toward green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings and the construction of new publicly-accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved communities across Canada.
"The funding will enable Ronald McDonald House Ottawa to meet the current and future demand for all families displaced from their homes while travelling to seek medical care,” said CEO Christine Hardy. “This expansion will provide essential social infrastructure, enable equitable access to pediatric care, and reduce the financial burden faced by travelling families. Our new net-zero, LEED Gold standard building will allow for RMH Ottawa to support an additional 347 families travelling to Ottawa for medical care each year.”
Earlier this year, the Ottawa Construction Association pledged $25,000 in support of the project’s capital campaign.
Construction of the new facility is scheduled to begin next spring, and is expected to last between 12 and 18 months.