REGINA - The first ever Ronald McDonald House for Regina is officially going ahead.
At an announcement Monday morning at Hotel Saskatchewan, the province confirmed that $6.5 million in funding is going to the build of Regina’s Ronald McDonald House. The construction is expected to start next month with completion expected in early 2027.
The building will go up at the corner of Scarth Street and 15th Avenue, not far from Regina General Hospital which is a hub in southern Saskatchewan for pediatric care, particularly with its labour and delivery unit.
This will be the second Ronald McDonald House in the province, with one already located in Saskatoon; there is also a Family Room located in Prince Albert. According to the province just under 30,000 families have been served by these two programs.
Ronald McDonald House will serve as home for families whose children will require medical care in Regina. In particular, it will help those who must come in from out of town for extended periods of time, saving those families considerable expense in finding accommodations.
“You know, at the end of the day, the house is going to be in Regina. But who it's going to serve is the people that live in Carlyle, Estevan, Maple Creek, Eastend,” said Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill.
“These are people who are going to be bringing their children and their family in to Regina for specialized care in general. And, you know, the reality is many families are still going to have to travel to Saskatoon to go to Jim Pattison Children's Hospital… But the reality is that the closer that we can treat a family and a child closer at home, that is what we want to do when it comes to health care in this province. And so, again, having this service available in the southern half of the province is really key.”
Tammy Forrester, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Saskatchewan, said this marks the first gift from the province of Saskatchewan to Ronald McDonald House Charity Saskatchewan.
“And we are truly and sincerely grateful. The investment into the capital build in Regina will enable us to provide support to another 824 families each year, in a 20 room house that will be located close to the Regina hospital near to the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, so that families travelling from southern Saskatchewan and other parts of this province to Regina for medical care can stay at the house where they will receive wraparound family centred care. Which includes accommodation, meals, family programs and emotional support, while lifting the financial burden that families carry when dealing with a sick child — saving families millions of dollars in out of pocket expenses each year. This is a true investment into family centred care.”
Cockrill talked about the affordability piece, saying that the “reality is that when your child's sick, life doesn't necessarily stop. You still have a job. You still have obligations. You still got bills to pay. And I think having an affordable place in really the southern city of the province is going to be really key for families that are trying to walk a very difficult road with their children.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities Family Ambassadors, Craig and Tricia Slobodian, spoke of the positive impact Ronald McDonald House had on their lives. They utilized Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon while their daughter received pediatric radiation treatment for cancer of the pituitary gland.
“From the moment you walk in the door, you feel the love,” Craig said. “The love of the staff, the other families, and most importantly, the love that goes between the children.”
He said Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon is a 34-room house within walking distance from the Royal University Hospital, the Cancer Clinic, and the Jim Pattinson Children's Hospital. Those from a community outside of Saskatoon who have a child receiving medical treatment are eligible to stay at the house for $10 per day.
The house also has a kitchen to allow families to enjoy healthy meals every day during their stay.
“Walking into Ronald McDonald House feels like a warm hug. It feels like home. It does not make the journey easy, but it does make it easier,” Craig said.
“Kids get involved in many different activities at the house. You would see kids smiling, laughing, developing friendships. They were being kids. Our daughter never looked forward to her next procedure, treatment, or test, but she always looked forward to Ronald McDonald House.”
He reports their daughter is now seven years cancer free.
While this latest announcement from the province allows the project to go ahead, the fundraising effort is not yet complete. Forrester says the $6.5 million gets them to over 80 per cent of their fundraising goal, so they are continuing efforts to raise the remaining 20 per cent to get the project "over the finish line."
