A dream that started seven years ago has become a reality.
IN 2018, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) began planning to build a Ronald McDonald House in Prince Albert. One Friday, they broke ground on the new building following a $3.5 million contribution from the provincial government.
“This is just an incredible day, an incredible moment in time, for Ronald McDonald House,” RMHC CEO Tammy Forrester said during a press conference at the Alfred Jenkins Field House Friday afternoon. “It has been quite the journey.”
The provincial contribution comes one week after a $6.5 million donation for the new Ronald McDonald House in Regina. Forrester said the Prince Albert donation means they have reached 80 per cent of their fundraising goal, which is enough to start construction.
Once completed, the two Ronald McDonald Houses will save families more than $6 million in estimated out-of-pocket expenses.
“This is a true investment into Saskatchewan families and family-centred care where families share the burdens they carry with others in similar circumstances, where families will have a place to stay together providing emotional support to one another, where support and healing happens around a dining room table and over a hot cup of coffee and a home-cooked meal, through quiet conversation in a safe environment families can call home,” Forrester told those in attendance. “Today, we look to a bright future as we setup to build another home in this province.”
Premier Scott Moe and Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill were in Prince Albert for the announcement, along with local MLAs Alana Ross, Kevin Kasun, Darlene Rowden, and Eric Schmalz.
Moe said Prince Albert house will benefit the entire region.
“This service is offered at what is a very—if not the most—stressful time of a family’s lives,” Moe said. “When their young ones, when their loved ones, when their children are experiencing a health challenge, families can count on, with Ronald McDonald House, an affordable place where they feel welcome (and) where they can stay, without question, while they face whatever their health challenges might be.”
The donation came as welcome news to local families who have used RMHC facilities in the past.
Ivan and Shianne Trudel spent nearly 40 nights in the Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon following the birth of their son Thomas in 2017. Thomas was in the hospital for the first year of his life after being born with a rare genetic defect.
The couple had three-year-old and 18-month-old daughters at the time. Shianne said the Saskatoon Ronald McDonald House gave the family a sense of normality during a difficult period.
“(It) always felt like home,” she remembered. “Our girls could just be kids. They could have fun. They could play. It also helped that we had support from all the staff, and we also made friendships with other families who were staying in the help. Knowing we had a comfortable place to stay, we were close to the hospital, this took a lot of the stress off of us.”
Thomas’ health improved enough that he was transferred to Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert. While there, the family were frequent guests at the Ronald McDonald Family Room.
Sadly, Thomas passed away at the age of three. Although they no longer needed RMHC’s help, the couple became Ronald McDonald House ambassadors to raise support and awareness for an organization that meant so much to them.
“Having a Ronald McDonald House in Prince Albert and Regina is going to make very stressful times for families much easier,” Ivan said. “Saskatchewan is a big province. Some people may have to travel many hours to and from their home to the hospital…. Having houses in Prince Albert and Regina, that means spending time with your children instead of traveling.
“These families may or may not have friends or family that they can stay with or access different programs for health, but I can assure you from first-hand experience that Ronald McDonald House becomes your second home.”
The new facility will be built on 5.6 acres of land located at 791 25th Street West. The design includes 12 bedrooms with space to accommodate 494 families each year.
No delays expected due to tariffs
The provincial government may put some construction projects on temporary pause due to the tariff war with the United States, but RMHC CEO Tammy Forrester said the Ronald McDonald House build in Prince Albert likely won’t be affected.
Forrester said they’ve worked closely with Prince Albert contractor RNF Ventures and designers aodbt architecture to make sure they used as many local suppliers and designers as possible. That means building costs are unlikely to increase, and construction will likely begin on schedule.
“I feel like we’re in a pretty good place,” Forrester said. “I know there will be changes to that as we go. We think about tariffs and we think about how that might impact (construction). We have a procurement policy that really focuses on Canadian-made products, local Saskatchewan suppliers, Indigenous-owned businesses, so we’ll be focusing a lot on that.”
RMHC has already moved forward with a tender package for the Regina house. Forrester said they’re waiting for proposals on that project to come in before starting on the next phase in Prince Albert.
The PA house will go to tender sometime this spring. Forrester expects construction to start this summer.
“(We) then hope to see where the tender packages and the proposals land us within Prince Albert with this build,” she explained. “I don’t anticipate a lot of pausing, but we also have to keep our eyes on what’s going on in the economy. We have to keep our eye on using donor dollars to support our build. We have to make mindful decisions as tenders come in and we’ll see where that all fleshes out.”
In 2023, the Daily Herald reported RMHC was aiming for a 2026 opening in Prince Albert.
Forrester added that they still need to raise 20 per cent of their final fundraising goal. She’s hopeful the community of Prince Albert will continues to support the cause
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly named RNF Ventures as the designer of the new Ronald McDonald Children’s House in Prince Albert. RNF are the contractors and aodbt architecture are the designers.
