Province announces $6.5 million for Ronald McDonald House in Regina
March 3, 2025, 8:16 am
by Nicole Taylor
On Monday, the government of Saskatchewan announced $6.5 million in funding for Ronald McDonald Charities of Saskatchewan. In collaboration with Ronald McDonald House Charities, the funding will go towards building Regina’s first ever Ronald McDonald House, serving families in Southern Saskatchewan.
The new facility will be built on the corner of Scarth Street and 15th Avenue, keeping the facility centrally located and close to the Regina General Hospital. A sod turning was held at that location on Monday along with the announcement.
A number of local families in the Moosomin region have used Ronald McDonald House and support the charity, including Summer Heide, who held an online auction as a fundraiser for the charity in February after her daughter had surgery for stomach cancer, and Chris MacPherson, who donated two bred heifers in a auction recently to raise money for the charity after his family used a Ronald McDonald House in Edmonton when his daughter was born.
Moosomin-Montmartre MLA Kevin Weedmark was the Master of Ceremonies for the announcement.
“I am proud to be Master of Ceremonies for this event,” Weedmark said. “I know just how important Ronald McDonald House Charities is to Saskatchewan. I have spoken to so many people in rural Saskatchewan who have benefited from Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon and every one of them speaks so highly of what it meant to stay in a home-like atmosphere with other families going through the same thing and offering support.
“I know the Ronald McDonald House in Regina will make a difference as well.
“So many who have benefitted from Ronald McDonald House want to give back. Just in the last couple of weeks, I have seen two people from my area give back for the support they received at Ronald McDonald House. Chris MacPherson of Wapella had a herd dispersal sale and donated the proceeds of two heifers to Ronald McDonald House Charities, and raised $14,500, and right now Summer Heide of Moosomin has an online auction going on that has brought in $4,500 so far.
“That shows just how important Ronald McDonald House Charities is to Saskatchewan, when you see that kind of support.”
“I am absolutely thrilled that Saskatchewan families will now have the option of staying at a Ronald McDonald House when they come to Regina seeking medical care for their children,” said Saskatchewan’s Minister of Health, Jeremy Cockrill at the announcement.
“During a very stressful time in their lives, families will know that they can rely on the Ronald McDonald House. They can count on an affordable place where they feel welcomed and cared for while their child is undergoing medical treatments. In January, I was able to tour the Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon, and I so appreciate the great work they are doing, their fundraising efforts so far, and their commitment to improving the health and well-being of children.”
The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon is the hub for paediatric and maternal care in Saskatchewan, and Regina General Hospital is also a focus point for highly specialized maternal and children’s programming in the province.
“A Ronald McDonald House in Regina will make a huge difference to families with sick kids who need to travel for treatment,” said Cockrill. “Parents and grandparents know how important it is to be there for your children when they are going through something incredibly difficult. That’s really what this is all about, families being able to be together when facing challenges. The Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon has enabled that for so many families already. We all have stories of people we know in our own communities who have stayed at a Ronald McDonald House. This expansion is going to amplify the amount of stories like that, where we can make sure families are together. Thank you Ronald McDonald House Charities for your work already, and the work that you are going to do here in Regina, we look forward to being a part of that.”
“What a truly historic moment in time,” said CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Saskatchewan, Tammy Forrester. “Ronald McDonald House Regina has been imagined now for three decades, and here we stand today on the cusp of making this reality.
“Communication dates back to 1995, when conversations first began about a Regina house. Then, over the decades in between, other factors, changes, and developments hijacked those intentions. A provincial children’s hospital for Saskatoon was announced. Expansion to the Saskatoon house was imperative that we would be able to support the provincial children’s hospital. A family room space to enhance the services in the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital was then announced, then there was a slow build back of services after a worldwide pandemic, but long-term vision, and sightlines have persisted, and we are now perfectly timed and situated for the Regina house to become a reality.”
Forrester says this donation is the first from the province of Saskatchewan to Ronald McDonald House Charities Saskatchewan.
“In the year of Ronald McDonald House Charities Saskatchewan’s 40th anniversary, we are able to celebrate this growth and expansion into Regina to serve families in the south. Today we celebrate this monumental investment from the province of Saskatchewan who are joining forces with the community, to make this house a reality. We are truly and sincerely grateful,” said Forrester.
The investment into the capital build in Regina will 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. Families traveling from southern Saskatchewan, and other parts of the province to Regina for medical care can stay at the house where they will receive wrap-around family centred care, which includes accommodation, meals, family programs and emotional support. The design includes 20 bedrooms, a children’s playroom, outdoor play space and communal kitchen.
“RMHC is lifting the financial burden that families carry when dealing with a sick child and saving families millions of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses each year. This is a true investment into family centred care, where families have a place to stay together, and share the burdens they carry with others in similar circumstances,” said Forrester. “Where healing happens around a dining room table, over a hot cup of coffee and a homemade meal, through quiet conversation, and a safe environment families call home.
“It’s unimaginable for a family to leave a child in the hospital and be that far away. Staying in the house, that’s just going to be blocks from the Regina General Hospital, alleviates that pressure. If something were to happen in the middle of the night, you are just blocks away from your child. It alleviates that mental burden, but it also alleviates that financial burden. That financial burden is absolutely debilitating for many families.”
Forrester said one family from Kamsack, Sask. has been staying at the Saskatoon house for 421 nights. “There is not anyone in Saskatchewan who can put up hotel rooms and dining out and parking passes and the burden of a 421 night stay so that your child can receive proper access to healthcare. This is what the Regina house is going to do. It’s going to alleviate that for our southern Saskatchewan families.
“This investment into the Regina house will provide better access to care for all Saskatchewan families. We express deep gratitude today for a community of support and this historic investment from the province of Saskatchewan.”
The government’s commitment has brought RMHC to within over 80 per cent of their fundraising goal for the new Ronald McDonald House in Regina.
“We are not quite there yet, and we as a community can get it across the finish line,” said Forrester. “As we celebrate this provincial gift, I also ask you to consider how you too can invest in supporting families in a difficult situation they never thought they would be in. By supporting this house project in Regina, you will be supporting a friend, a family member, someone from your community, a neighbour. You are invited to take the journey with us, we still have a few miles to go.”
“I want to thank everyone here. I want to thank the province of Saskatchewan for this historic donation,” said Craig Lothian, co-chair of RMHC Saskatchewan fundraising campaign, who credits part of the campaign’s success to the good fortune his family has had in the Saskatchewan oil industry. Lothian is from Carlyle, and his family has donated $1 million to RMHC for the new house in Regina.
“I think it’s a message worth repeating because I’d like to think the 400,000-gross-a-day of oil production in Saskatchewan had a big part, or at least some part in the government’s ability to give $6.5 million dollars to this program. It’s certainly the reason why we were able to write a million dollar cheque to this program,” said Lothian.
“Without that industry, we wouldn’t be here today, and I don’t know if the government would be making this announcement. I think it’s really important for this particular house because the people who are going to use this aren’t living in Regina. It’s the people that are in Estevan, Carlyle, Moosomin—communities in southern Saskatchewan. Many of those are oil communities.
“We need to remember that it’s our industry, our economy that allows the private sector to make these donations. Especially at this particular time, the oil industry has been under attack for about eight years federally now. Everyone needs to remember that the industry is important, it’s these soft things that we do for the community, and I know that the Jim Pattinson Children’s Hospital, the donors that gave more than a million dollars to that facility were directly related to the oil industry. I’m taking a small bow on behalf of the people in the Saskatchewan oil industry today, this is a fantastic project.”
“Our family experienced the power of the Ronald McDonald House first-hand,” said Craig Slobodian, a parent of a child who used Ronald McDonald House. “In 2017, me, my wife Tricia, and our two daughters were living a regular kind of life. Kids had activities and school, balancing work and family. This changed dramatically when our youngest child at age 13 was diagnosed with brain cancer. There was a tumour on her pituitary gland. We were able to complete chemo in Regina. It was tough, but out daughter was tougher, and all together we completed the step. Next was radiation. Paediatric radiation is only offered in Saskatoon, so for seven weeks our family was split up. We finished radiation, and we are very happy to share that as of next month, we are seven years with no active disease.
“When we were living in Saskatoon, our family experienced the power of Ronald McDonald House. From the moment we walked in the door, we could feel the love. The love of the staff, the families, and, most importantly, the love that grows between the children.”
The Saskatoon Ronald McDonald House is a 34-room house within walking distance from Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital, cancer clinic, and Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. Families from communities outside of Saskatoon who have a child receiving medical treatment are eligible to stay at the house for $10 per day.
“Some families are there for days, weeks, months, some stay for over a year. 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,” says Slobodian.
“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.”
Slobodian said that the Ronald McDonald House comforts families with a taste of home. “The house gives families access to an incredible kitchen. It avoids the cost of eating out every day, it helps us stay healthy and focus on the journey ahead. Hotels have their place, but the sterile feel of a hotel does not help your mental health while you’re on your journey. The house helps you stay in a positive state of mind and this helps you fight your battle. Some families must quit their jobs while their children are receiving extended medical care. RMH relieves both the mental and financial pressure. We will always be grateful for Ronald McDonald House for all you have done for our family.”
