Ronald McDonald House to be built in Regina

The Saskatchewan government has announced it will fund the first ever Ronald McDonald House in Regina.

The facility, which will provide a "home-away-from-home" for families with children experiencing serious health issues, will be built on the corner of Scarth Street and 15th Avenue, close to the Regina General Hospital.

The government will provide $6.5 million in funding. The announced design includes a children's playroom, a communal kitchen, an outdoor play space and 20 bedrooms.

Craig Slobodian and his wife, Tricia, whose youngest daughter stayed at the Saskatoon Ronald McDonald House, spoke at a news conference about how the charity helped his family.

"From the moment you walk in the door, you feel the love. The love of the staff, the other families, and most importantly, the love that grows between the children," he said. "Our daughter never looked forward to her next procedure, treatment or test, but she always looked forward to Ronald McDonald House."

Their daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was 13 and had to receive radiation treatment for seven weeks in Saskatoon. That required the Slobodians, who were not from the area, to stay at the Saskatoon House while their daughter was treated.

"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," Slobodian said.

Ronald McDonald House Charities first arrived in Saskatchewan in 1985. The Regina Ronald McDonald House will join the Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon and the Family Room facility in Prince Albert. 

For families living outside of Regina, immediate family members will be able stay at a Ronald McDonald House with their child for $10 a day.

"Some families have to travel two, two and a half hours from their home, and leaving their little one in the hospital and trying to find a place to stay, whether it's a hotel in Regina or choosing to drive back home, that two and a half hour journey, that is just unimaginable," said Tammy Forrester, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities Saskatchewan.

She spoke of one family from Kamsack, Sask., that stayed in the Saskatoon house for 421 nights.

"There is not anyone in Saskatchewan that 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 health care. This is what the Regina House is going to do."

Saskatchewan Minister of Health Jeremy Cockrill reiterated Forrester's focus on the benefit the Regina House will have on rural families.

"At the end of the day the house is gonna be in Regina, but who it's gonna serve is the people that live in Carlyle, the people who live in Estevan, Maple Creek, Eastend," he said. "These are people who are going to be bringing their children and their family in to Regina for specialized care at the General."

Construction of the house will begin in March 2025. It's expected to be completed in early 2027.