When Modern Niagara committed to donating $500,000 over five years to the redevelopment of CHEO, it did so because it believes in giving back to its community.
“I can’t think of a better place to make a donation,” says Brad McAninch, CEO of Ottawa-based Modern Niagara, “for what CHEO does and means to the community in terms of the service it provides and what it means for families in Eastern Ontario to have that service there.”
McAninch says his mechanical, electrical, HVAC and plumbing firm with offices across the country is “fortunate enough to be in a position to make a donation of that size – and with the redevelopment, it seemed like the right time to do so.
“CHEO has this ambitious project that it’s undertaken to continue to improve the services it provides. So when you look at the whole thing, it just makes a lot of sense,” he says. “We were founded in Ottawa in 1959 and employ a lot of families. Even within our own company, plenty of our employees and their families are glad to have CHEO in the city.”
McAninch recalls that his own brother was in and out of CHEO when he was young and he doesn’t know what his parents would have done without its services.
A $220M redevelopment fundraising campaign
CHEO Foundation has launched its biggest fundraising campaign ever — it aims to raise $220 million through community donations — to support a 10-year campus redevelopment plan that includes a $459-million integrated treatment centre at its Smyth Road campus. The funds raised will ultimately help CHEO transform pediatric care by remodeling, reimagining, and adapting to the growing and increasingly complex care needs of children and youth in the region.
CHEO also has a strategic commitment to reduce to 50 per cent by 2029 the number of children waiting for services beyond what is clinically recommended.
The ambitious plan and Kids these Days fundraising campaign will address the mental health crisis so young people have access to the support they need, says Steve Read, president and CEO of CHEO Foundation. It will also improve access to emergency care, design new ways to support and care for kids living with complex care needs, and improve medical and surgical outcomes through better research, modernized facilities, and the latest technology innovations.
It will also enhance diagnostic tools and research to give kids a brighter future.
“Our catchment area has grown significantly beyond Eastern Ontario in the last 50 years – we now serve Western Quebec, Northern Ontario, and Nunavut, and from a research perspective, it’s boundaryless,” Read says. “We are inviting people to help us transform pediatric care.”
Read says the half-million donation from Modern Niagara is a “huge help” to the campaign and that he’s encouraged by the response from other businesses and families as well.
“Modern Niagara has been a very good partner for a long time and since they’ve stepped forward and are acting as a leader in this response, I know others will follow suit,” Read says, adding that the campaign is expected to make it to the halfway mark by the new year.
Modern Niagara: A long legacy of giving back
Modern Niagara has established a tradition of giving to CHEO for nearly 30 years. Emily Jamieson, vice-president, corporate philanthropy and community engagement, CHEO Foundation, says this large donation was a very welcome gesture.
“Having a donor who understands the importance of our redevelopment to the community and giving back is essentially what allows us to thrive as a healthcare facility,” she says. “It’s just one of the reasons that Modern Niagara is such a wonderful partner.
“To work with a company like theirs is a privilege, and we’re hoping that gifts like this can inspire more people to give to CHEO as well.”
