Calgary’s Ronald McDonald House expands, becoming largest in Canada

Calgary’s Ronald McDonald House has expanded, becoming the largest of its kind in Canada.

Two years after groundbreaking, the facility reopened Thursday, growing from 27 suites to 91. It’s a place where families cans stay together, just steps from the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

A commercial kitchen has been added, and play areas have been upgraded.

Renee Labriola stayed at the Calgary house years ago while her eldest son got treatment.

“Being referred to Ronald McDonald House with the catch that they may not have room for you… and getting that stress dumped on you when you’re just getting into the world of pediatric cancer treatment is crushing,” she said.

Prior to the expansion, Ronald McDonald House Charities says it only had space for 14 per cent of families looking to stay. Now, the organization estimates one in two families will be able to call this place home.

Labriola says the support her family received at the house — including for her youngest son Enzo, allowed them to create some positive memories while being faced with childhood cancer.

“He is six now and still speaks fondly of the ‘Calgary house’ as he calls it,” she said. “For him to come away from that mushroom cloud with an atom of nostalgia is something that I will never stop being grateful for.”

That sentiment is part of what organizers say they are trying to achieve.

“The families are desperate to get access to what we do for them every single day,” said Ronald McDonald House Charities Alberta CEO, Jason Evanson. “It’s more than shelter, it’s a warm meal, it’s a sense of community with the other families that’re staying alongside them here at the Ronald McDonald House.”

More than 1,200 families stay in Ronald McDonald Houses across Alberta each year. The charity says future expansion is planned for Edmonton’s facility, allowing more families to have a place to call home during their most challenging times.