Frequently Asked Questions

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There is no cost to families. Canuck Place programs and services are made possible by our generous supporters. Financial support comes from individual donors, foundations, organizations, corporate sponsors, the Province of BC, the Federal government, and the Canucks for Kids Fund which provides 4% of overall operating funding.

Our Vancouver hospice has has six patient beds and four family suites.

Our Abbotsford location, Dave Lede House has four patient beds and four family suites.

Children accepted to Canuck Place are between 0–19 years of age. The important factor in acceptance to our program is the presence of a progressive, life-threatening illness.

Numerous factors will contribute to our team’s decision about accepting a child and their family on our program. Find more information here.

For urgent referrals, please contact Canuck Place directly at 604-731-4847 or toll-free within BC at 1-877-882-2288. These lines are open 24/7.

Ronald McDonald House BC Services

For over 30 years, Ronald McDonald House BC (RMH BC) has provided accommodation for seriously ill children and their families when travelling to Vancouver for major treatment. The new RMH BC has over 73 bedrooms and is a vital resource for families around the province. It gives children and families a place to stay while receiving treatment at BC Children’s Hospital.

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Services

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is BC and the Yukon’s only pediatric palliative care provider. We provide complex care for children from 0-19 with life-threatening illnesses and their families—24-hours a day, 365 days a year, in-hospice, in-hospital, and in-home. We operate 13 patient beds and 8 family suites through two hospice locations in Vancouver and Abbotsford. Canuck Place employs the equivalent of 32 full-time pediatric palliative specialist nurses, and 5 pediatric palliative physicians who treat over 190 complex diseases and conditions. There are over 830 children and families on the Canuck Place program across five health regions.

Canuck Place programs also include pain and symptom management, medical respite, recreation and music therapy, education and art, grief and bereavement counselling, and end-of-life care. Our 24-Hour Clinical Care Line ensures parents and caregivers always have an expert to call.

Matthew’s House plays an important role in the Fraser Valley community. Canuck Place and Matthew’s House are neighbours on the Dave Lede Campus of Care. Matthew’s House is operated by Communitas Supportive Care Society and is a respite care home for youth, aged 16-25, living with complex healthcare needs. Parents can also stay in a guest suite while their child is in care.

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is BC and the Yukon’s only pediatric palliative care provider. We provide complex care for children from 0-19 with life-threatening illnesses and their families—24-hours a day, 365 days a year, in-hospice, in-hospital, and in-home. We operate 13 patient beds and 8 family suites through two hospice locations in Vancouver and Abbotsford. Canuck Place employs the equivalent of 32 full-time pediatric palliative specialist nurses, and 5 pediatric palliative physicians who treat over 190 complex diseases and conditions. There are over 830 children and families on the Canuck Place program across five health regions.

Canuck Place programs also include pain and symptom management, medical respite, recreation and music therapy, education and art, grief and bereavement counselling, and end-of-life care. Our 24-Hour Clinical Care Line ensures parents and caregivers always have an expert to call.

Canuck Place Vancouver – Glen Brae is a beautiful heritage building that was refurbished to deliver complex clinical care. Take a virtual tour of Glen Brae Manor here.

Canuck Place Abbotsford – Dave Lede House is a purpose-built facility, designed specifically to provide pediatric palliative care for children and families in the Fraser Health Region and across the province. Take a virtual tour here.

Canuck Place programs and services are made possible by our generous supporters. Financial support comes from individual donors, foundations, organizations, corporate sponsors, the Province of BC, the Federal government, and the Canucks for Kids Fund which provides 4% of overall operating funding.

Donations to Canuck Place can be made in 3 ways:

  1. By secure online donation
  2. By cheque made payable to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and mailed to 1690 Matthews Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 2T2
  3. By credit card or EFT payment over the telephone. Call 604-731-4847 or toll free in BC at 1-877-882-2288

You can also include Canuck Place in your Will or life insurance policy, give a gift of securities, or become a Courage Builder Monthly Donor. Explore other ways to give here.

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Society is a charitable society registered simply as Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, Registration #133867523 RR 0001, and is the “operational” entity, providing care to kids and families in our two hospices, in-hospital and at-home. Whereas, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Foundation was created in June 2000 (Registration # 863704920 RR 0001) and was established to receive bequests, legacies, donations, gaming revenue, property and to hold and safeguard those funds in support of the activities of CPCH, the “Society”. All donations that come through CPCH Foundation are used exclusively to support CPCH care.

Unfortunately, we are unable to coordinate direct giving to the children and families in our hospices. We would be happy to help you find another way to show your support.

See other ways to give or in kind giving for more information on how you can donate resources to Canuck Place

Yes! By giving even a small portion (1%) of your estate to Canuck Place, you have the power to make a significant impact in the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses—while still leaving 99% of your estate to your loved ones.

Visit our Legacy Giving page for more information on how to leave a gift on your will.

You can sign up to fundraise for Canuck Place in any way that works best for you. Or contact [email protected] to learn more about corporate sponsorship or how we can support your fundraiser.

Yes, Canuck Place partners with a third-party fundraising organization – Donor Direct Consulting. Our trusted partner is a committed group of fundraising representatives who make phone calls, knock on doors, and canvass public areas in selected BC communities about opportunities to support Canuck Place.

If you have any questions or concerns about a phone call or a canvassing visit you received, please email [email protected]

  • Canuck Place holds several 50/50 raffle draws per year
  • Canuck Place 50/50 draws are advertised by email, direct mail, radio ads, newspaper ads, digital ads, Facebook and other social media channels
  • You can be certain it is a legitimate ad if it links to or references our official ticket sales website, canuckplaceraffle.com, and/or advertises our official phone sales line at 604-730-3316
  • 50/50 winners are always contacted directly by Canuck Place staff via phone and email. You will never be contacted by text message, asked to click a link, or charged any fees
  • Questions about the Canuck Place 50/50 program can be directed to [email protected]
  • Visit the 50/50 website for more information

You are free to adjust or cancel your monthly gift at any time. Please contact [email protected] or call 778-726-0983.

Please allow 30 days notice to ensure no additional donations are processed.

Alternatively, you can also cancel your direct debit or credit card gift directly through your bank. To obtain a sample cancellation form, or information about your right to cancel a Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD) Agreement, contact your financial institution or visit www.cdnpay.ca.

If you donate online, you will receive an electronic receipt for your donation. Tax receipts are issued immediately for online donors, to the email address provided when making their gift.

If you donate by cheque or donate by credit card over the telephone, you will receive a tax receipt in the mail at the address you provide us.

If you are a monthly donor, your selected monthly donation amount will be charged to your credit card on the first or the fifteenth of each month. An annual receipt totaling your monthly gifts will be mailed to you in February.

If you find an error on your receipt or need a duplicate, contact us at [email protected].

Depending upon the situation, in accordance with the Canada Revenue Agency’s guidelines, a tax receipt may be issued if “no benefit” was incurred.

To request a duplicate tax receipt, update your mailing address, update your email address, and/or to change the frequency of our communications, please email us at [email protected]

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information and adheres to legislated privacy requirements. Any personal information we collect is used for donor-related and tax-receipting purposes. We may periodically contact you to keep you informed about our activities and other mission-related communications. We do not sell, trade or rent out any names or personal information.

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice takes concerns/feedback received from partners and donors very seriously and undertakes due investigation into each concern received. We are open to receiving feedback and are committed to addressing and resolving complaints in a timely, respectful, and fair manner.

You can find more information on our concerns/feedback policy in our resources. If you wish to submit a concern or complaint, you may use our online form or email [email protected]

You can update or view your donation information by visiting your Donor Portal.  

Once you fill our your registration information, you will be sent a confirmation email, which will have a link to confirm your Donor Portal account. Once you confirm your email address, your Donor Portal will be activated.

On your Donor Portal, you can:
  • Update your contact or payment details
  • View any past or current online recurring gifts
  • Download your annual statement
  • Make a new donation
  • Make a new recurring gift
  • Modify or cancel your active recurring gifts
  • Manage saved payment methods

If you have any problems accessing or setting up your Donor Portal, you can contact Helen Yu at [email protected] or 778-900-4629

We are so grateful for your generosity. Your fundraiser will help Canuck Place continue to care for over 830 children with life-threatening illnesses, at no cost to their families.

Fundraising for Canuck Place is easy!

Simply create an online fundraising page in a few easy steps at my.canuckplace.org

Customize your page and share it with friends, family, and your social networks. Fundraising pages offer a quick and secure way for them to support Canuck Place programs. Together, you and your supporters can keep families together and ensure no moment is missed.

Need help? Reach out to Caitlin Jung. We’ll help you create something unique, memorable, and successful.

There are so many ways to involve your business or workplace in supporting Canuck Place.

Fundraising for Canuck Place is a great way to engage employees, raise your social responsibility profile, and align your brand with a well respected charity.

Our Corporate Giving page has some helpful resources on marketing causes, employee giving, and sponsorship opportunities. You can also reach out to Caitlin Jung for inquiries.

Ready to start fundraising? Create an online fundraising page and start collecting donations now.

Canuck Place has a wealth of resources to support your fundraising efforts. Visit my.canuckplace.org or email [email protected] for more information.

We have a limited inventory of promotional and branded materials to share, and as a result are unable to meet all requests. Please reach out to our team about available resources.

We’re eager to help you celebrate your fundraiser to the best of our abilities.

Social media is a great way to engage with us so tag @CanuckPlace on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to highlight your fundraiser.

Once you’ve registered your fundraiser with us, we’re happy to share special branding with you to support your fundraising efforts.

The Canuck Place Children’s Hospice logo is a registered trademark; unauthorized use is prohibited. Please send all event materials featuring our name and/or logo to the Canuck Place communications team for review PRIOR to publication or distribution. Email: [email protected].

If you would like to request to have a Canuck Place staff member or ambassador at your event, please let us know at least six weeks in advance. Due to the large volume of requests, we are unable to fulfill every request.

We will do our best to have a representative attend if it’s possible so send us an email to get the conversation started.

The Vancouver Canucks, through the Canucks for Kids Fund (CFKF), are a major donor to Canuck Place. We cannot provide players, alumni, or Fin the mascot for events, as they already generously give their time to participate in CFKF events to raise funds for Canuck Place.

Our priority is always the care and privacy of the children and families on our program.

Therefore no outside visitors are permitted, to protect our children with complex medical conditions.

Please consider the following logistics when planning an event:

Insurance

Terms and Conditions with respect to Insurance Coverage: Canuck Place Children’s Hospice special/sporting event insurance policy does not extend to your event or fundraiser.

Check with your venue or insurance provider to determine what is necessary for your event.

Food Safety
Some venues require temporary food permits that can easily be acquired through your local Health Authority. Check to see if your event requires a permit.

Lotteries and Raffles
Holding a raffle, 50/50, or any percentage draw as part of your event? You’ll need to apply for a gaming license online from the BC Government’s Gaming Branch. We can provide you with a letter of acknowledgement to help you in your application.

For further details visit http://www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/gaming/index.htm

Safety at Events
Once you have decided what you are going to do to raise funds for Canuck Place, you also need to think about the finer details. Please take measures to ensure your event is within the law and SAFE FOR ALL participants.

In just a few steps, you can create your own fundraising page for your campaign here

Once you’ve signed up, your page can be customized with stories, photos and information about your fundraiser.

Need help?

Just send us an email and we can help you get your page up and running

No problem! Our system will walk you through the steps to reset your password. If you have any issues resetting your password contact Clayton Whitt.

Navigate to the login screen and select “Forgot password

Donations made through your online fundraising page are received by Canuck Place immediately.

If you have collected cash or cheque donations, they can be dropped off in person to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Or you can mail your donations (please do not mail cash) to:

Vancouver

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
1690 Matthews Ave
Vancouver, BC V6J 2T2

Abbotsford

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice – Dave Lede House
32772 Marshall Rd
Abbotsford, BC V2S 1J6

Please ensure cheques are made payable to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

Tax receipts will be issued under the Canada Revenue Agency Guidelines in relation to third-party community fundraisers. For further information please see below.

Donors who make their gifts through your online fundraising page will automatically receive an electronic tax receipt.

If you collect cash and cheque donations from your fundraiser, you can submit them, along with our Donation Remittal Form to:

Vancouver

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
1690 Matthews Ave
Vancouver, BC V6J 2T2

Abbotsford

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice – Dave Lede House
32772 Marshall Rd
Abbotsford, BC V2S 1J6

Please ensure you have complete donation amounts, full names, addresses, and telephone numbers for donors who require tax receipts.

Tax Receipt Guidelines

We cannot issue a tax receipt to you, the event organizer, for public donations collected at your fundraiser. As per Canada Revenue Agency Guidelines, Canuck Place’s responsibility is to ensure that official donation receipts are only issued to donors for the eligible amount of the gift. This means organizers of an event cannot claim a tax receipt for donations made by the public because the organizers are not the original donor. Only the original donors can claim a tax receipt.

Event expenses may not be deducted from tax-receiptable donations.

All donations requiring a tax receipt must be received in full by Canuck Place. Canuck Place will not reimburse you for any expenses incurred; all financial control is the responsibility of the event organizer. Canuck Place is dedicated to being fiscally responsible and we recommend that your event expenses not exceed 20 per cent of the total event revenue.

If you haven’t received your tax receipt, or if you need a duplicate copy issued, please contact [email protected]

Our charitable registration #13386 7523 RR0001.

More than 164 students, working professionals, stay-at-home parents, and retirees volunteer for Canuck Place. They range in age from 16 to 82 and come from all walks of life, bringing varied talents, skills, and abilities.

Canuck Place volunteers assist in bereavement/outreach, office reception, kitchen help, housekeeping, gardening and outdoor maintenance, the school room and library, and with special events. Our Family and Peer Volunteers provide companionship for children and families who may be missing their home environment.

Volunteers in the hospice work shifts of typically 3 hours each, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.. We require volunteer support 7 days a week, every day of the year. Volunteers for special events work shifts as needed.

No. Our volunteers focus on companionship, helping our children and families live life to the fullest. They help create memories through activities and interactions with others.

You can apply via our online application form. Selected individuals will then be contacted for an interview, and if successful, attend our next training session. Please note, all applicants, regardless of role, must be at least 16 years of age and fully vaccinated (i.e. at least 2 shots) against Covid-19.

Canuck Place children and families currently on program or receiving services are not eligible to engage in volunteer opportunities.

Should a child currently on program or family member receiving services wish to explore other family engagement opportunities with Canuck Place, and/or learn more about ways to get involved or “give back”, information can be accessed through our Family Engagement page.

Children who have graduated from the Canuck Place Program and/or family members who have received services in the past may choose to come forward and apply to volunteer their time, after a minimum of one year has passed since receiving services, or minimum four years after the child has died for bereaved family members

All volunteer applicants, including bereaved family members, must successfully complete the Canuck Place screening/interview and application process in order to be considered for volunteer roles. In cases where an applicant has been on program or was a family member receiving services, The Volunteer & Support Services team will confirm end dates of service in the Canuck Place clinical database/health record. All volunteer roles are filled at the discretion of Volunteer & Support Services team. Should a former patient or family member successfully complete the volunteer application process, it is important to consider that as a Canuck Place volunteer, the relationship with the organization and its stakeholders (staff, families, volunteers and donors) will look differently than that of a family member receiving services. Although personal experiences can uniquely enhance volunteer roles, Canuck Place Volunteer & Support Services are responsible to ensure that volunteers (regardless of personal experience) put the needs of children and families on program first.  Volunteer & Support Services staff reserve the right to accept or decline volunteer applicants, regardless of previous experience, based on screening and assessing suitability throughout the application and selection process.

Companies and organizations can volunteer at Canuck Place. Visit our Corporate Giving opportunities for more information.

Yes. Canuck Place takes enormous pride in its volunteers and supports them in a variety of ways. We provide continuing education and recognition, and host special events to honour our volunteers.

Parents:

To use this service, please contact the Canuck Place Intake coordinator:
Phone: 604-742-3476
Email: [email protected]

Physicians:

For urgent or end-of-life referrals or inquiries please page the Palliative Care Physician on call at 604-875-2161.​​

Everything we do is surrounded by care for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. More care, more time together, more memories.

Our training and education opportunities focus on pediatric palliative care, pain and symptom management, and pediatric advance care planning. We train health care professionals and the public in BC and the Yukon, nationally, and internationally.

Explore Current Training Opportunities

How can you help?

There are so many ways to give. You can support complex care for children with life-threatening illnesses and families in BC and the Yukon. With your help, Canuck Place will support them in living the end of life as fully as the beginning.

Donate