Extreme Weather Aftermath and Recovery

Last updated on Monday, May 30, 2022

Saturday’s severe weather caused widespread damage, disruption, and hardship. Our thoughts are with everyone affected directly and indirectly.

As an essential service, CHEO remains open. We know people count on us and Team CHEO is doing its very best to serve young people and their families at this challenging time. If you can’t make it to a planned appointment, don’t worry. Just let your clinic/provider know and we will rebook it as soon as possible.

As of Monday, May 30:

The main Smyth Road campus is open. This includes our school and preschool services.

1667 Montreal Road Mental Health site

Home and community care partners, school-based visits, and rapid response nursing visits will be done as required and where possible, or rescheduled.
Steps To Success and other mental health programs operating in schools will be closed as part of overall school closures.
If any additional services must be rescheduled, CHEO or one of our partners will contact you directly.

Note: Rotel, which provides accommodations for CHEO patients’ family and friends, is currently without power, hot water and telephone access. CHEO is supporting current Rotel guests as well as those with upcoming reservations at Rotel by providing access to power, showers/hot water, laundry and wifi in CHEO's main building nearby. Alternate arrangements are also possible. Contact a CHEO Family Resource Worker at 613-737-7600 x4184 if you require support with accommodations.

Watch our social media accounts and website for updates. We will take this one day at a time.

Our Emergency Department continues to support families of young patients whose children depend on electrically powered devices for life-sustaining support. Please come in if you need help (remembering to drive with caution). Thank you to our partners at Ronald McDonald House and Roger Neilson House for supporting our efforts to serve these families this weekend.

As most schools are closed tomorrow and as power outages remain widespread, remember that municipal reception centres are open for device charging, showers, etc.

We will be doing all we can to prioritize clinical services over the coming days, always with a view to #safetyfirst for kids, families, staff, medical staff, learners and volunteers.

We are working with the City of Ottawa’s emergency operations centre (EOC) and with our hospital partners across the region to ensure health needs are met.

We are thankful for these collaborations. And we salute the efforts of Hydro Ottawa, Hydro One, and other frontline services who are also working through this weekend to restore the essential services we all rely on.

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Media contact

media@cheo.on.ca

About CHEO

Based in Canada’s capital, CHEO is a globally renowned health institution with a mission to provide exceptional care and support to children, youth and their families. Opening our doors in 1974, we offer a full range of specialized pediatric care and services to children from eastern and northern Ontario, western Quebec and Nunavut. Our site is home to a hospital, a children’s treatment centre, a school, a research institute, and is affiliated with the University of Ottawa as an academic health science centre. Named Canada’s best health-care employer by Forbes in 2024, we are home to more than 6,500 staff, clinicians, scientists and researchers, as well as volunteers – all of whom work together to help children and youth achieve their best lives.