Not just for cancer patients but for anyone. Plagued with mould, the Oshawa Hospital Foundation just can’t afford the renovations required to bring it up to standard. And really, who can?

If the foundation was to suddenly find that perfect, affordable alternative they’ve spent more than a year searching for, and put Rundle House on the market, who is going to buy it? It could easily take upward of $1 million to make it livable. Couple those costs with a probable heritage status and more than a decade of people arguing over it and good luck finding a buyer.

Such circumstances leave the foundation—a volunteer-fueled organization that raises money for the hospital and its projects—with little else to do. Residents are clear: they don’t want anyone encroaching on Alexandra Park and rightfully so. It’s a well-used green space and should remain as such.

When you look at the facts, demolishing Rundle House and rebuilding is really the only sensible answer. And while criticism of the proposed demolition runs rampant, those critics have no alternative solutions to offer up. So it seems likely the wrecking ball is headed for the address.

Supporters of heritage conservation can only hope that the foundation will do its best to realize what a loss the building is and make attempts to retain some of Rundle House’s fixtures and incorporate the into the new building, which is rumoured to reflect the already existing turn-ofthe-century homes.

In the end, if you’ve got no choice but to lose this historical home isn’t it better to know that it will be turned into a refuge for suffering families undergoing cancer treatments than some low-rise apartment, doctor’s office or parking lot?