Ronald McDonald House celebrates major expansion of Calgary facility

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) celebrated the opening of its expanded Calgary facility at a ceremony on Thursday, almost two years after construction began.

Just southeast of the Alberta Children's Hospital, the facility offers a place to stay for families seeking vital medical treatment for sick or injured children.

The expansion project has more than tripled the building's capacity — from 27 to 91 private family suites.

Before the project, RMHC Alberta CEO Jason Evanson said the organization could only meet 14 per cent of the demand from families travelling for pediatric care in the province.

"The families are desperate to get access to what we do for them every single day," he said. "It's more than shelter. It's a warm meal. It's a sense of community with the other families that are staying right alongside them."

Evanson said the new suites will help clear a waitlist that at times has been up to 60 families.

Calgary's Ronald McDonald House officially opens expanded facility

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The facility has grown from 27 family suites to 91. The CEO says the expansion has been needed for a long time as waiting lists keep growing.

Each family suite includes two queen beds and an en-suite bathroom. The upgraded facility also includes a new commercial kitchen, play areas and a fully accessible outdoor playground.

Last year, families who stayed at the charity's Alberta homes saved about $9.6 million in transportation and lodging costs, according to the CEO.

"As Canadians, we're talking all the time about affordability," said Evanson. "We provide a financial lift. We alleviate a tremendous burden."

'Hotel bill would have been astronomical'

Renee Labriola and her family accessed Calgary's Ronald McDonald House in 2021 while her one-year-old son was receiving treatment for brain cancer.

He underwent six brain operations with life-threatening complications and a harsh chemotherapy regime, she said at the ceremony on Thursday.

"My inability to work created significant financial strain. A hotel bill would have been astronomical. RMHC offered us a place to stay and meals we didn't have to buy or cook," said Labriola. 

"To have so many more families' needs met warms my heart immeasurably. The fact that there was such a waitlist when we were there put a strain of guilt on us, on top of everything." 

RMHC Alberta is also planning to enlarge its facility in Edmonton in the future.

The non-profit said the two expansion projects will allow it to support twice as many families in Alberta per year, with demand on the rise.

"As Alberta's population grows, the need for Ronald McDonald House grows commensurately," said Evanson. "We're going to be needed more than ever, not just now, but into the future."

The Calgary expansion project was finished on time and under budget, according to the charity.