New stand-alone location revealed for Stollery Children’s Hospital

The province has announced the new location for a standalone Stollery Children's Hospital. CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson reports.

The Stollery Children’s Hospital is getting a new home with room to grow, located on the University of Alberta’s South Campus.

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The stand-alone hospital will be at the northeast corner of 122 Street and 51 Avenue. It was chosen for its large size, potential for future expansion and proximity to the university’s existing hospital, the province said in a news release on Monday.

“Currently the site is undeveloped green space which means construction can proceed without demolishing or relocating buildings, allowing us to streamline the timeline and quickly build the best facility possible,” said Infrastructure Minister Martin Long on Monday.

Planning is already underway to determine the hospital’s space and infrastructure needs.

The Stollery opened in 2001 and currently operates within University of Alberta Hospital and the Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre.

“After years of planning and working with the Government of Alberta, this is a historic moment for kids’ health and for every family who has ever walked through the doors of the Stollery,” said Karen Faulkner, president and CEO of Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, in a news release.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Government of Alberta and the University of Alberta for making this land announcement possible.”

Over 40 per cent of patient intake comes from outside the Edmonton area, including B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, said Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Matt Jones.

The UCP government spent $1 million in 2021 for the project, matched by the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.

To help the project, the foundation is launching its No Bounds campaign to raise $1 billion.

“The phrase ‘No Bounds,’ means that there’s no limits to the potential of Stollery or the children that we serve,” Faulkner said.

“Our campaign is rooted in a playful, space-themed concept that celebrates the curiosity, the courage and dreams of children who reach for the stars and we should reach for the stars too.”

Budget 2025 will add $11 million over three years to help with the planning and design. The planning phase is expected to be done in 2026. Jones said it will take five to eight years to build the new space, but the process could be expedited, as there’s already delays for children to access care.

Once the new hospital is built, the province says it will leave room for more acute care beds.

The projected cost of the new hospital is unknown until planning is complete, Long said.

The Stollery is the second-largest children’s hospital in Canada by bed count, coming after The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.