WRHN Foundation receives $750,000 donation from RBC Foundation program
Donor Feature
Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) Foundation is pleased to announce a $750,000 donation from the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant, which will help make WRHN’s Midtown site more accessible.
The donation, over three years, will enable a retrofit of the main entrances of WRHN @ Midtown (formerly Grand River Hospital KW Campus) with modern, fully accessible automatic doors. The project is scheduled for completion in 2028.
“Thanks to this support from the RBC Foundation, new main entry doors at WRHN @ Midtown will be more accessible and welcoming to everyone in our community,” says Ashley Howat, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives of WRHN Foundation.
Upgrading our main entry points at this site not only enhances safety and accessibility today, it also sets a standard for the inclusive, patient-centered care environment WRHN is striving for as it plans and builds the future Hospital over the next decade.
WRHN @ Midtown is one of three current hospital sites under the new health network, which brought together Grand River and St. Mary’s hospitals in April 2025.
WRHN has seven regional programs and other care areas across its sites that serve nearly 1.5 million people in Waterloo Region and surrounding communities. Some of the most visited areas of WRHN @ Midtown are the Cancer Centre, which sees 400 patients each day, and the childbirth unit that welcomes 4,700 new babies annually.
The RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant (formerly the RBC Foundation Community Infrastructure Fund), is designed to fund retrofits, repairs or upgrades to existing public community buildings and spaces, as well as the construction of new public spaces that reduce environmental impacts of their operation and/or improve its building accessibility.
“Upgrading these doors will help to remove physical barriers that can pose safety risks, particularly for those with mobility aids,” said Peter Choma, Regional Vice President, Kitchener Waterloo, RBC.
We’re happy that this funding will help to ensure that all individuals, regardless of mobility challenges, will be able to access care safely, with dignity and ease.
The RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant (formerly the RBC Foundation Community Infrastructure Fund) is open to hospitals, cultural institutions, community centres and other registered charities in Canada. The amount of funding is based on the organization’s size, reach, and regional population.
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