Toronto, ON [February 26, 2026]: Hope Air’s mission to remove barriers of distance and cost to medically required care is being advanced through a new $150,000 funding commitment from RBC Foundation. This contribution will help enhance Hope Air’s National Travel Program and support the launch of a new client care booking platform serving patients nationwide.
This funding will help strengthen Hope Air’s ability to coordinate free flights and accommodations for patients who must travel long distances for treatment, while helping improve the efficiency, reliability, and dignity of the client experience through a new booking platform. This platform will enhance coordination between patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and travel partners, reducing delays, improving communication, and ensuring support is available when and how it is needed.
The support aligns with RBC Foundation’s ambition to drive more inclusive opportunities for prosperity through access to healthcare and helping address systemic barriers that impact people’s ability to meet their basic needs. By investing in health-related stability, RBC Foundation’s support helps ensure individuals and families can focus on care and recovery rather than the financial and logistical strain of travel.
“We believe in providing fair access to services and opportunities that can help improve the strength and resilience of our communities,” said Gayle Corcoran, Senior Director, Social Impact, RBC. “By supporting Hope Air’s National Travel Program and new client care booking platform, we are helping reduce barriers to healthcare and creating more inclusive access for individuals and families across Canada.”
“No one should have to choose between getting the care they need and the cost or complexity of getting there,” said Mark Rubinstein, CEO of Hope Air. “This significant investment expands our ability to serve patients across Canada and modernizes the systems that help us deliver care with greater compassion, efficiency, and reliability, especially at the moments when people need support the most.”
For patients like Patti, a woman in her 70s living in the remote northern community of Terrace, B.C., Hope Air meant the difference between accessing treatment and having to delay or forgo care altogether. After being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer, Patti was required to make several 2,600 kilometres roundtrips to Vancouver for specialized treatment, an overwhelming prospect while undergoing chemotherapy and managing the physical, emotional, and financial strain of an illness. The Hope Air team took the burden away from Patti, coordinated and covered the cost of her flights, ground transportation, and accommodations, allowing her to focus on treatment and participate in critical cancer research rather than dealing with the challenges of planning her travel. New funding like this will help ensure more patients facing similar barriers can access timely care, without the added burden of complex travel logistics or unaffordable costs.
“The Hope Air client care team were always very welcoming and helpful. They put me at ease with clear and prompt communication. They booked my flights, Uber, and hotel. I could get my treatment without worrying about expenses or logistics.”
Through investments like this, Hope Air continues to play a vital role in creating stability for individuals and families navigating serious illness, helping build healthier, more resilient communities across Canada.
About Hope Air
Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free flights, accommodations, and travel support for patients in financial need who must travel far from home for medical care. Since 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 250,000 travel arrangements for patients living in 700 communities, giving hope, dignity, and health to Canadians coast to coast.
Learn more at hopeair.ca
Hope Air Media Contact:
Jodi Lumsden
Director, Marketing Communications
jlumsden@hopeair.ca
