Parents never expect to need a Ronald McDonald House, but RMHC Alberta CEO Jason Evanson and his team are there when families need them
Ronald McDonald House Charities is undergoing a huge expansion to its Calgary facility, tripling its size to allow more families in need to gain access to its comprehensive support networks.
Always frustrated by having a waiting list of families hoping to take advantage of accommodation while their child is being cared for at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, RMHC Alberta CEO Jason Evanson says, “We are determined to provide more space and amenities, doubling our current capacity. Our goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment so that families can focus on what’s important — their child’s health.”
Emerson is responsible for four houses in Alberta — others are in Edmonton, Red Deer and Medicine Hat — that serve 1,200 families annually. In 2023, they arrived from 200 communities around Alberta and 100 from outside of the province.
The cost is high at $35 million, and although fundraising is going well, Evanson says there’s a way to go. One of the meaningful ways of raising funds is the construction of a 125-foot wall to be built on the south exposure of the building, made of personalized bricks that can be purchased and engraved with messages by grateful people who have experienced the care RMHC has provided, or any individual wishing to support the project.
The goal is to raise $4 million for bricks from donations.
A big supporter of The Big Build Brick by Brick is Westcor Construction, which is providing construction management for the extension project.
Its company tagline of Building a Better World is something Westcor president and CEO Bob Robinson is relentlessly committed to, leading a team who proudly work on projects such as RMHC while inspiring subcontractors and all involved to participate in a special way.
The extension will provide 91 rooms, including the existing 27. Designed by GEC Architecture that designed the original RMHC facility, lead architect Andrew Tankard says the addition aims to alleviate stress in families from out of town who are concerned about where they can stay — some for a couple of days, other perhaps for several months. A welcoming home as opposed to a hotel room.
Parents never expect to need a Ronald McDonald House, but Evanson and his team are there when families need them. At least three families check into an Alberta Ronald McDonald House every day.
The living units will be supported by a public living room, craft room, den and meeting rooms, as well as a large commercial kitchen. Complete with four ranges, refrigerator and freezer space, and a large prep area, the new kitchen will be used daily by groups from churches, corporations, etc., who arrive with food to prepare and serve meals as Home for Dinner volunteers.
Evanson says the new kitchen will be able to create 100 soup servings a day, and he plans to hire a professional chef to help organize the production.
During the construction phase, Westcor is also renovating the original house that has served this city well for almost 20 years.
Robinson’s firm has built a reputation for working on projects for organizations where extra care is required in the construction process. Crews must be thoughtful with jobs such as upgrading seniors’ homes, where they have to be conscious of not disturbing people set in their ways.
Westcor is currently working on the Lacombe Hospital, careful to keep down the noise so as not to disturb patients. It has worked on several projects for the Bethany Care Society, currently working around people in an existing facility to upgrade mechanical and elevators. For Silvera for Seniors, Westcor completed construction earlier this summer on Livingston Terrace Apartments, which is welcoming residents to 47 units of affordable housing.
Another recent completion that required special treatment was the 12,000-square-foot expansion to the Foothills Country Hospice just to the north of Okotoks that doubles the number of beds, a milestone in the hospice’s ability to provide end-of-life and treatment care
Notes:
Voting is now open for the 2024 Field Law Community Fund Program, inviting members of the public to vote for community-focused projects in northern and southern Alberta. This year, 175 applications have been received, each hoping to share part of the $80,000 available. Cast your vote at fieldlawcommunityfund.com.
David Parker appears regularly in the Herald. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be reached at 403-830-4622.