Health Minister Michael de Jong announced an additional $1.5 million to support the construction of the new Canuck Place Children's Hospice at the Gift of Time Gala in Vancouver last night.

Canuck Place Children's Hospice provides specialized pediatric palliative care services for B.C. children and support for their families. This new funding will complement the $1.5 million in provincial funding announced in November 2010 to Canuck Place for the construction of a new children's hospice in Abbotsford.

This expansion of Canuck Place will help meet the growing need for pediatric palliative services for B.C. families living outside of metro Vancouver. The new 2,800-square-metre (30,000-square-foot) hospice includes 10 beds with suites for five families. The existing Canuck Place Children's Hospice in Vancouver includes nine beds and four family suites.

Almost half of the families currently served by Canuck Place reside in the Fraser Valley region. By locating the new hospice in Abbotsford, the program will be available closer to home for many families in the Fraser Valley and Interior, reducing their need for travel.

Established in November 1995, Canuck Place offers a comprehensive continuum of care to over 400 children throughout British Columbia and their families. Services include 24/7 physician and nursing support and consultative services, end-of-life care, pain and symptom management, respite care, school, music and play therapy, recreation opportunities and counselling.

The new Canuck Place Children's Hospice will be known as Dave Lede House, in honour of Dave Lede, the lead donor of the capital campaign. The City of Abbotsford has contributed land adjacent to the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, which will be shared by all three organizations in a campus of care model.

The Dave Lede Campus of Care will bring Canuck Place together with the new Abbotsford Hospice Society's Holmberg House, which will provide hospice services to adults, and Matthew's House, which will provide respite for children with complex medical challenges. The city signed a 99-year lease with the group for $10.

Quick Facts:

• Canuck Place was the first free-standing children's hospice in North America, and just the sixth in the world.
• In November 2009, Canuck Place announced plans to expand services into the Fraser Valley.
• Construction of the new Canuck Place began in December 2010. The official groundbreaking was held in March 2011, and is expected to be completed by late 2012.
• The Provincial Health Services Authority currently provides Canuck Place with operating funding of $1.48 million.
• Additional funding is received directly from the ministries of health and children and family development.
• Approximately 65 per cent of operating costs are funded through community donations.

Learn More:

For more information on Canuck Place Children's Hospice, please visit: www.canuckplace.org

Media Contact:

Ryan Jabs
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
Cell: 250 413-7121

Filomena Nalewajek
CEO
Canuck Place Children's Hospice
604 374-4847