Strategic investments in social infrastructure play a key role in ensuring residents of the Maritimes have the right facilities to support families of children who are in need of life-saving care.
Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Member of Parliament for Halifax; the Honourable Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia; the Honourable Labi Kousoulis, Minister of Labour and Advanced Education for Nova Scotia; and Scott McCain and Leslie McLean, Co-Chairs of the Capital Campaign, Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlantic, announced funding of $7.5 million to build a new Ronald McDonald House in Halifax to replace the existing smaller facility.
The new facility will provide family-centred care and residential support to Maritime families with sick children who require medical care in Halifax.
The fully accessible building will have 36 bedrooms and private bathrooms, suites for children with compromised immune systems, and modern spaces for programming. The project will double the number of families supported each year. In addition, the facility will provide emotional support programs, children's activities, and day programming also open to families visiting the nearby IWK (Izaak Walton Killam) Health Centre.
The Government of Canada is investing $4 million in this project through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream (CCRIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The Province of Nova Scotia is contributing $3.5 million and Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlantic and other donations will provide the balance of the funding for this project.
Quotes
"Investing in social infrastructure that supports families is essential to building healthy and resilient communities. With the construction of the new Ronald McDonald House in Halifax, families with sick children from across the Maritimes will be well supported when they come for care. We are very proud to work with our partners to deliver this important project."
Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Member of Parliament for Halifax
"Having a sick or injured child puts a tremendous amount of stress on a family. Ronald McDonald House has been there for families across Nova Scotia and the Maritimes for over 35 years, and we are pleased to support this important project that will touch lives throughout the region."
The Honourable Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia
"This announcement marks the beginning of a journey to ensure all Maritime families have a place to call home while dealing with the stress of a sick child. The new House will enable RMHC Atlantic to serve an additional 600 families annually, eliminate their wait list, and help keep more families together when they need each other most."
Scott McCain and Leslie McLean, Co-Chairs of the Capital Campaign, Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlantic
Quick facts
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Through the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
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$25.3 billion of this funding is supporting social infrastructure in Canadian communities.
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The Government of Canada has invested more than $791 million in 187 infrastructure projects across Nova Scotia under the Investing in Canada plan.
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To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories.
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The COVID-19 Resilience Stream will help other orders of governments whose finances have been significantly impacted by the pandemic by increasing the federal cost share for public infrastructure projects.
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The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will provide up to $31 million in existing federal funding to support communities as they deploy innovative new ways to adapt spaces and services to respond to immediate and ongoing needs arising from COVID-19 over the next two years.
