SHRINERS CHOICE IS CLEAR: SHRINERS HOSPITAL CANADA STAYS IN MONTREAL

Montreal, Tuesday, July 3, 2007 – This afternoon at the Imperial Session in Anaheim, California, Shriners from across the United States, Canada and Mexico were called to vote on a motion presented by Mocha Shriners to move the Canadian Shriners Hospital to London, Ontario. “The motion was defeated. The Shriners Hospital Canada stays in Montreal”, confirms the Hospital’s Chief-of-Staff, Dr. François Fassier.

Reached in Anaheim, Gary D.D. Morrison, Chairman of the Board of Governors, expressed the following: “This is a wonderful outcome. It was made possible thanks the extensive support of the public, the Friends of the Shriners, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), McGill University, the Government of Quebec, the City of Montreal, Shriners and their Ladies as well as donors from across the country and North Eastern US”.

Following a 5 year process to decide where a new Shriners Hospital should be built in Canada, two years ago in Baltimore the Shriners delegates decided to keep the Hospital in Montreal.  Current facilities, while perfectly adequate for quality care are becoming cramped. This spring, Shriners in London, Ontario renewed their bid to have the Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal closed and to build a new pediatric orthopedic hospital in their city.

“It is now time to move forward. Our partners and the communities we serve are committed to the construction of a new Canadian Shriners Hospital. The site at the Glen Campus here in Montreal has been certified as decontaminated. It is now up to us as Shriners to continue  working together with our partners to make this happen in Montreal”, adds Mr. Morrison.

The Shriners Hospital in Montreal has close ties with the communities it serves. In fact 60% of the children seen at the Montreal Institution come from Quebec and the remaining 40% from elsewhere in Canada and around the world. The Hospital works closely and shares staff with The Montreal Children’s Hospital and CHU Sainte-Justine. This critical mass of expertise is not available elsewhere in Canada.  Among other specialties, the Shriners Hospital in Montreal is known over the world for its leading edge research and treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bone disease).

Note to media:

Gary D.D. Morrison is available for interviews from Anaheim regarding the decision and the outcome.