Grandview Kids opens new, state-of-the-art headquarters in Ajax

The Grandview Kids Jerry Coughlan Building will serve 6,000 children and youth with communication, physical and developmental needs.

Media Release – Friday, November 22, 2024

AJAX, ONT. — Grandview Kids officially opened its new Ajax headquarters, known as The Jerry Coughlan Building, on November 14. The new, fully accessible, state-of-the-art children’s treatment centre will serve more than 6,000 children and youth with physical, communication and developmental needs in the Durham Region. To celebrate this monumental milestone, Grandview Kids hosted a series of opening events, including a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on November 15 and a Municipal Welcome Event on November 22. These events recognized the federal, provincial, regional and municipal governments’ investment into this project.

Building on the exceptional talent and skillset of Team Grandview’s physicians, leadership, clinicians, administrative and support staff, the new, larger facility will enable Grandview Kids to expand and enhance existing services and introduce new ones, better meeting the rapidly growing demand of the Durham Region community.

Grandview Kids’ new headquarters offers rehabilitation services, including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech-language pathology, recreation therapy, audiology, infant hearing, blind-low vision and social work. In addition, Grandview Kids will continue to offer its Ontario Autism Program (OAP) services, Preschool Outreach Program (POP), School-Based Rehabilitation Services (SBRS), Extensive Needs Service and Family Engagement Program. Six developmental paediatricians also work on-site, providing medical services and overseeing multiple clinics. The Grandview School, Grandview Kids education partner, is also located within the building.

Funding for Grandview Kids – The Jerry Coughlan Building was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) and the Government of Canada. Through the Grandview Kids Foundation’s Believe Campaign, Grandview Kids received two lead gifts: $5,000,000 from the late Mr. Jerry Coughlan (for whom the building is named after) and $5,035,000 from the Regional Municipality of Durham. In addition, the Town of Ajax has donated a five-acre parcel of land upon which the Centre is built. Tribute Communities also donated one-acre of land. Grandview Kids will continue to operate satellite locations in Bowmanville (Bowmanville Health Centre), Port Perry (SA Cawker), Whitby (Abilities Centres) and Oshawa (Dwyer). This ensures high-quality care is accessible close to home for families across the Durham Region.

Quick Facts

• Grandview Kids is Durham Region’s Children’s Treatment Centre, serving more than 10,000 children and youth with physical, communication and developmental needs each year.
• Grandview Kids – The Jerry Coughlan Building is a 100,306 square foot, open, welcoming and inclusive community-based paediatric facility, offering an integrated mix of rehabilitation, medical and clinical services, as well as research activities.
• The building is spread across four storeys, featuring a welcome playground, sunken garden, two gymnasiums to be used for both therapy and play, therapy pool, outdoor terrace, Family Resource Centre (with an express branch of the Ajax Public Library), café and outdoor sensory trail.
• The entire facility and surrounding area are fully accessible.
• The building has been designed for a LEED Silver designation.
• Due to the size and scope of this project, Grandview Kids entered into a public-private partnership (P3) with Infrastructure Ontario (IO). In April 2022, the Children First Consortium was selected as the preferred proponent to design, build and finance the project.

Quotes

“Grandview Kids has long-awaited the day we would open our new, state-of-the-art headquarters. After years of steadfast advocacy – campaigning for a new facility that could better respond to our community’s growing needs – we are proud to have achieved this monumental milestone. We are grateful to our government partners for their ongoing support and investment in this project. The New Grandview Kids is a beacon of hope, excellence, belonging and discovery. This new space will enable Grandview Kids to enhance and expand existing services and introduce new ones, serving children and youth with communication, physical and developmental needs throughout the Durham Region for generations to come.” – Tom McHugh, Chief Executive Officer, Grandview Kids

“It’s amazing to see years of planning, effort and dedication come to fruition with the opening of the new Grandview Kids in Ajax. Ajax Council donated 5-acres of land on Harwood Avenue North for this facility in 2015, and Ajax staff have worked closely with the Grandview team to support the development. I’m also incredibly proud of the $300,000 donated to Grandview through the Ajax Mayor’s Gala since 2022 for the building’s construction and operations. This project is a prime example of municipalities and organizations coming together to create meaningful change for the greater good, and I thank everyone involved.” – Mayor Shaun Collier, Town of Ajax

Infrastructure Ontario is proud to celebrate the opening of the New Grandview Kids alongside our partners at Grandview Kids and Children’s First Consortium. The new facility, which will provide family-centred care for children, youth, and their families in Durham Region for years to come, is a testament to IO’s success in helping deliver critical healthcare projects across Ontario. The projects we work on are more than just buildings. They are about creating spaces that bring essential services and provide the foundation for communities to thrive. The opening of the New Grandview Kids is a moment for us to reflect on the value of public infrastructure in shaping healthier, more resilient communities and to celebrate how successful partnerships can bring projects like this to life. Congratulations to everyone involved in achieving this incredible milestone. – Michael Lindsay, President and CEO, Infrastructure Ontario