Winnipeg’s New Ronald McDonald House Opens with Support from Qualico

Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg’s new Ronald McDonald House opened its doors last week, making life a little bit easier for sick children and their families in their time of need. 

The new 50,000 sq. ft. house at 62 Juno Street held its official grand opening on September 14, following a nearly complete $20 million capital fundraising campaign that included a $100,000 donation from Qualico, along with gifts from other private and individual donors, and funding from the Manitoba Government.

Building Products & Concrete Supply (BP Concrete), The Floor Show, and Star Building Materials were involved in the project at various stages of the building of the new facility.

“Projects for charities like this are paramount for our local community and being able to support these is an honour for our group. We are grateful for Qualico’s leadership and generosity towards this cause,” said Braden Shaw, Sales Manager, BP Concrete.

The new Ronald McDonald House, designed by Winnipeg architects ft3, replaces an aging building that no longer had the capacity or modern amenities to meet the needs of today’s out-of-town families caring for sick children. The new house is located two blocks from the original property, just a few minutes from the HSC Children’s Hospital.

Every year, the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) network helps 5.5 million people in 64 countries by supporting programs to improve the health and well-being of children. RMHC Manitoba is part of a network that aims to provide families with safe and affordable temporary housing while children undergo treatment for serious health conditions or injuries at a nearby hospital.

In Winnipeg, families staying at Ronald McDonald House are charged just $10 a day and can remain there as long as needed. Most guests come from rural communities, First Nations and smaller cities in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario who need safe, compassionate, and supportive accommodation while in town for treatment or supervised recovery with their child.

Staying at Ronald McDonald House provides needed financial relief during extreme stress, eliminating the need for families to pay well over $100 a night for an average hotel nearby. Often, families require stays lasting days, weeks or even months.

In operation 24/7, 365 days a year, the new Ronald McDonald House offers new and improved amenities like private bathrooms for each of the 40 living units, better parking, improved ventilation, and a fresh new outdoor playground.

At more than four times the size of the previous residence, the new house can support a much higher number of families, many of which had to be put on a waiting list in previous years. Larger common spaces, nearly three times more guest rooms, extra programming options, and an expanded team of trained staff and volunteers help to make the stay as comfortable as possible.

The new Ronald McDonald House also includes new isolation units for bone marrow and organ transplant patients, allowing families to remain close and connected to their children while healing from these types of advanced procedures.

According to RMHC Manitoba’s website, nearly 4,000 nights of accommodation were arranged in 2021, saving 866 affected families more than a million dollars in out-of-pocket costs.