For many years now I have participated in fundraisers by the City of Côte Saint-Luc for Manoir Ronald McDonald de Montréal, a temporary home away from home for out-of-town (more than 70 km) families of children with critical illnesses who must travel here for medical treatments. It is a tradition for us to direct proceeds from our annual Winter Carnival to this cause. Of course, we have had a solid relationship with McDonald’s franchisee Pierre Brunet.

Jacqueline Mallet, myself, Laurent Lemay and the city's Harold Cammy and Alvin Fishman.

Recently I made my first visit to the Manoir, a beautiful facility on Hudson Avenue in Côte des Neiges just around the corner from the Ste. Justine Hospital. I was invited as a member of city council to cocktail for donors. Besides us, represented were: the Léger/ Paiement family, the Jaunasse/Gauthier family, RBC Banque Royale, Sanimax, Insight Canada, Morneau Shepell, Fondation Newton and PVH. Each donor received a beautiful painting by young Béatrice Girardeau, who has been staying at the Manoir with her parents since October 2.

The wine and cheese was presided over by executive director Jacqueline Mallet and Laurent Lemay. Among those on hand was former Montreal Canadiens player Mathieu Darche, who serves as member of their board of directors. I was given a tour of the facility by a young university student from France who serves as a volunteer. This particular building opened just over three years ago and still looks spanking new. The previous locale was on Cote St. Catherine Road. It is like a five star hotel. The rooms are very comfortable and attractive. I saw the one Côte Saint-Luc funded.

The Manoir is owned by the Fondation des Amis de L’enfance (Montreal) Inc., an independent, autonomous and non-profit organization. The Board of Directors, whose members are volunteers, make all strategic decisions. They are people with big hearts who have many years of experience managing private and non-profit organizations, in business development and financial management as well as legal matters. The executive director and a team of five staff members manage the Manoir’s daily activities. A large number of volunteers also donate their time on a regular basis.

This is more than just a residence: it is is also a place of solace and solidarity. Each of the 50 bedrooms is designed for three people, with a double bed, a single bed, and a full bathroom. Common areas available to guests include two fully-equipped kitchens, several living rooms, a library, laundry rooms and fully-equipped playrooms For the children’s entertainment a beautiful outdoor play area has been designed recently. Milk, bread, English muffins, tea, coffee, sugar, yogurt, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry soap, and house cleaning products are provided free of charge by different companies. Since 1982, thanks to the generosity of donors and the involvement of volunteers, the nightly rate per family has been maintained at $10. However, when a third party pays for their stay, the fee is $40 per night.