Conconi Canuck Place Challenge – A Peek Inside Canuck Place

Earlier this month, we announced the launch of our new Conconi Challenge with Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Until July 31^st, RLCF will be matching, dollar-for-dollar, all donations up to $200,000. All donations to Canuck Place will help them provide B.C.’s children with life-threatening illnesses and their families with the critical care and support they need, when they need it most.

This week, we’re taking a closer look inside Canuck Place’s first provincial location in Vancouver and what it takes to keep the program running.

About the House

The Glen Brae Manor was originally built in 1910 for William Tait, a Scottish lumber and real estate baron. Today, the house is a designated ‘heritage building’ and was leased to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice by the City of Vancouver for $1.00 a year for 50 years. After undergoing an extensive two-year $4M renovation to upgrade the home before occupancy, Canuck Place opened its doors to B.C. children and their families on November 30^th, 1995.

Canuck Place By The Numbers

• 607 – children and families supported by Canuck Place in 2014
• 5 – physician experts in acute and complex pediatric palliative care
• 32 – full-time/part-time equivalent pediatric palliative care Nurses on staff
• 9 – patient care beds
• 4 – family suites
• 325 – volunteers relied on in order to run the program
• 23,000 – hours provided by Canuck Place volunteers every year
• 2,002 – patient bed occupancy in 2014-15
• 150 – different medications administered each year
• 70 – meals served per day in the kitchen
• 1,000 – cookies baked every week
• $0 – cost to families that rely on Canuck Place

With over 16,000 square feet of space and a maze of rooms, you could easily get lost if you aren’t careful! Here are some of the more interesting rooms in the house.

The School Room

Students’ art work and photographs adorn the walls of this fully equipped classroom with computers, desks and chalkboards. Funded by the Provincial Government and operated under the Vancouver School Board’s Special Education program, the classroom is open to children staying at the hospice and their siblings, from preschool to grade 12 and helps students keep up with their educational milestones and their peers back in their home communities

The Snoezelen Room

From the Dutch verbs “snuffelen” (to seek out or explore) and “doeelen” (to relax), this is a multi-sensory room that gives visual, auditory and tactile stimulation to children and is particularly useful for nonverbal children. Some of the features include a projector to create moving images, a bubble tube, an aroma diffusor, fine strands of light, musical sounds, and a wind machine.

The Volcano Room

This is a padded sound-proof room in the basement where children, parents (and sometimes staff) can vent their frustrations or simply find a quiet location to pause. It includes punching bags, boxing gloves and soft sculptures. And of course, children are supervised while in the room.

Music Therapy Room

Also located in the basement, this cozy, private, and soundproof room is stocked with a variety of tuned instruments, editing technology and amplifiers. Music can also serve as a healthy distraction from distressing physical symptoms or medical procedures. With musical guidance provided by a music therapist, children and teens use songs and instruments to help express their emotions. For some children who have trouble speaking and moving, the chance to express themselves through music is like a door opening up for them.

Learn more about Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and their two provincial locations – Vancouver and Abbotsford by visiting the Canuck Place website. You can also reach out to us in the comments below, or on social media!

To donate to Canuck Place, visit canuckplace.org/conconichallenge or call 1-800-882-2288.

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