Our New House

January 2025 has been full of cold temperatures here in Ottawa, but our biggest story is that the second floor walls are going up!  It’s an exciting time for our families as they see all the new spaces and House expansion take shape.

Construction progress updates are always available by checking out our TimeLapse camera.

We need to grow our House to meet the current needs of our community, aiming to eliminate our waitlist. We are adding 22 more suites and new family living spaces. An average year RMHC Ottawa can have around 500 family-visits, with this build we will be able to accommodate 1,303 family-visits annually.

We are making room for ALL families who need a home-away-from-home while their child seeks medical care.

Our parcel of land is large enough that we do not have to move to grow, we are 167 steps door-to-door from CHEO. We currently serve families who are too far to commute; many from Cornwall, Pembroke, Timmins, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, and the Canadian North, including Nunavut.

Our carbon-neutral House will be Rick Hansen Foundation Certified, following the highest level of accessibility standards, and built to the LEED Gold standard.

We have just $600,000 left to raise to get us across the finish line! Consider making a Campaign donation today. We have many Naming Opportunities, so please inquire with cynthia@rmhottawa.com

GREEN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY BUILD

The Federal Government is contributing $9.37 million to Ronald McDonald House Charities Ottawa to help build Our New House! The GICB contribution is part of a five year program for green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings and construction of new buildings to serve high-needs communities across Canada.

ONTARIO PROVINCIAL BUDGET GRANT

The Government of Ontario grants Ronald McDonald House Charities $3.85 million to help build Our New House! In Chapter One, Section B “Working For You”, Pillar Two “Faster Access to Care”: The government is increasing access to high-quality care for patients across Ontario, including care at children’s hospitals.

The greatest number of families who stay at RMHC Ottawa come from the Cornwall & Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry region. Tom & Gail Kaneb live and run their business in the Cornwall area and cannot imagine their family members or employees commuting to Ottawa and home every day to be with their sick child in hospital.  That is why when approached about our expansion, Tom and Gail did not hesitate to provide their support.

“We were inspired to help the Capital Campaign when we learned the extent of how many of the overnight stays are people for Cornwall and the surrounding area. So many families require long term help for their child at CHEO and having to drive 200 km round trip daily is just not feasible” said Tom.

“Ronald McDonald House Charities Ottawa is essential for these families.”

We are incredibly grateful to the Tom and Gail Kaneb Family Foundation for stepping forward to make a difference in the lives of the families from Cornwall and beyond.

19 years ago, when Russell Grass and his wife Linda, with Waterdon, began supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities Ottawa, it started with the story of a family who could not easily get through the front door.

“I am one of the owners of Merlin Door Systems, and when my team was at RMH doing some work, one of the guys on our team noticed there weren’t any automatic door systems to help families who required extra help getting in and out of the building,” shares Russell. On the day he’s referring to, a family was bringing their child back from the hospital on a stretcher.

“In that moment, I decided we were going to gift an automatic front door opening system to the House. From that day forward, we haven’t missed a year of giving at least $10,000 to support whatever RMH needs”.

The Grass’s and their Group of Companies have been active sponsors of our signature events, in addition to their personal giving. And as we expand from 14 to 36 suites, they have made an incredible Campaign gift of $100,000.

Living in Ottawa, they have worked hard to build a life where they are able to give back to the community, and they do so generously.  “Our parents did the best they could while we were growing up, but we didn’t have the extras. Now, Linda and I can step up and really do something to help the community.”

The Grass Family and Group of Companies has supported many organizations over the years, each having touched their lives in a memorable way.

“I’ll never forget the families we saw living at RMH while we were working here all those years ago. We became exposed to a different side of healthcare and saw it happening in real life. Before we were here, I hadn’t realized how sick the kids were that stayed in the House.”

It’s also easy to forget that if you live far from the city, Ottawa is still the hub for children’s healthcare in Eastern Ontario and the North. “Most people don’t consider the families who live in small communities outside of Ottawa. They have to travel far distances when it comes to getting the best healthcare for their child. And it can be for years at a time.”

Russell and Linda have members of their extended family who spent close to a year at a different Ronald McDonald House.

“Being inside any Ronald McDonald House, you see the care happening, you see what these kids are going through day after day, and you see how grateful the families are to have a home away from home.”

As a final remark, the Grass Family shared that in a city that has been very good to them, it’s important to give back. “I’m thankful for the health of my family and all our grandkids. Knowing that through our gifts to RMH, families are walking out of the hospital, getting better, staying together – if any of that is because of the support we’ve given, it’s worth every penny”.

“The Shabinsky family proudly and generously supports numerous causes in the National Capital Region.  Two of the core tenets of our philanthropy involve young people and health care and Ronald McDonald House combines both”, shared Mark and Ian Shabinsky.

“The facility lovingly allows visiting families to focus their energy where it is most needed – on their children.  We feel strongly that there is a responsibility to give back to one’s community and it is our sincere hope that this message will help to inspire all who read it to consider doing the same.”

We are extremely grateful to the Shabinsky Family Foundation for the support to build a bigger House, as well as the encouragement for other community leaders to consider getting involved.

We are shining a light on the community partners who have come together to help us build a bigger House, making room for everyone.

Meet Omar Abouzaher, Regional Vice President of Bank of Montreal, pictured here with Campaign Director Cynthia Little. BMO is making a $250,000 contribution to this project, so it has been an honour to welcome Omar through our doors to see first-hand what our Ronald McDonald House does.

“You are creating a safe haven for families, looking after the most vulnerable and most precious in their time of need. At BMO, we believe in supporting the community where we work. Supporting RMHC Ottawa aligns perfectly with our purpose”, says Omar.

“As a corporation we have a moral responsibility in supporting, giving back, and connecting the communities where we work.”

Danny Baldwin, Former Chair of the Board of Directors for RMHC Ottawa and his wife, Bonny Baldwin

“I was the Chair of the Board here at Ronald McDonald House for 8 years, and involved with the house for close to 11 years. I was asked by the past Chair to get involved, and as soon as I stepped foot inside and saw the real impact this House has on families – with the support they receive and the programming offered to them – I knew I had to be involved” said Danny.

“We’ve had to turn away too many families who need the opportunity to stay here, at only 14 rooms right now, and a House that was built 40 years ago, this expansion is long overdue! We are adding 22 new suites to get to a total of 36. Plus more space for families to gather, to come together, to enjoy a meal – as they navigate the hardest days imaginable.

The objective of our expansion is to get rid of the wait list and serve as many families as possible. For this reason, Bonny and I felt it was important to not only give our time but make a financial contribution and hopefully, inspire others to do the same. It’s imperative that our community support this Campaign.”

Danny’s wife, Bonny, has been a longtime volunteer at the House. She shared, “now that Danny has just stepped down as Board Chair, he is becoming a volunteer with me, so you will see him cleaning and helping in the new House!”.

CHEO relies on Ronald McDonald House to accommodate the families of patients coming from rural, northern, and Indigenous communities. And while the patient population at the hospital continues to grow, our capacity has remained the same for 40 years, at just 14 suites since our original House was built in 1984.

In 2023, our RMHC Ottawa programs saved families over $1.9 million in out-of-pocket costs while we welcomed over 200 families from 183 different communities.

We provide essential social infrastructure to the families of sick or injured children, enabling equitable access to healthcare and filling a critical gap which would otherwise not be filled.

Pictured here, Alex Belanger and his little sister Paisley. Alex has been battling cancer since 2016, spending over 1,170 nights at our Ronald McDonald House. He comes to us from Harty, Ontario over 9 hours north of Ottawa.

Your support will help us cross the finish line on this essential expansion. Contact Cynthia Little at cynthia@rmhottawa.com today.