OREANDA-NEWS. CN (TSX:CNR) (NYSE:CNI) today announced its support of the Milton District Hospital (MDH) Expansion Project with a donation of up to USD 300,000 to the MDH Foundation's Our Home, Our Hospital Capital Campaign.

CN for the announcement were representatives from Halton Healthcare Services (HHS), the Milton District Hospital Foundation (MDHF), and the Town of Milton. Through its Miracle Match program, CN will match up to USD 300,000 in donations made to the Foundation's Campaign by small businesses and corporations.

CN Miracle Match is a national charitable initiative designed to rally communities across Canada behind a very worthy cause - supporting paediatric care. The program will begin in January 2015 and is a compelling and innovative challenge to the business community as every dollar donated will be doubled.

“Milton is important to us - we've been in this community for more than 100 years,” said Claude Mongeau, CN President and Chief Executive Officer. “We're proud to be partnering with the Milton District Hospital Foundation on this new initiative. We're especially pleased that the majority of the funds raised through the CN Miracle Match program will go toward supporting paediatric care.”

The Our Home, Our Hospital Capital Campaign is the most ambitious campaign the Milton District Hospital Foundation has undertaken. Funding of the MDH Expansion will be shared between the provincial government, Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) and the community. Community funds will be provided by the Town of Milton and through the MDHF Capital Campaign. These funds will be used for specific local share costs, which includes 100% of equipment costs. Contributions from businesses, such as CN, and the efforts of the Milton District Hospital Foundation are vital to the success of the project.

“We are thrilled that CN is so generously supporting the Milton District Hospital Expansion project. This expansion will greatly improve Halton Healthcare Services ability to provide quality healthcare services to the residents of Milton closer to home and would not be possible without the generous support of organizations such as CN, and our Foundation,” said Denise Hardenne, President and CEO, Halton Healthcare Services.

Highlights of the expansion project include a new Emergency Department three times the current size, a modern maternal newborn unit better suited to support Milton's young and growing population, new space for the Diagnostic Imaging Department, Surgical Suites, Intensive Care Unit and the addition of the hospital's first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine.

“Milton is Canada's fastest growing community and our Hospital needs to keep pace with that growth. CN's generous donation provides us with a flagship opportunity to encourage strong support among donors for the Hospital Campaign. Working together to achieve results means a great deal to HHS, MDHF and CN,” said Helen Vatistas, Executive Director of the Milton District Hospital Foundation.

In April 2014, Infrastructure Ontario and Halton Healthcare Services released a request for proposals to the three teams shortlisted to design, build, finance and maintain the Milton District Hospital expansion project. The successful project team is expected to be selected and announced in spring 2015. Construction is expected to begin shortly after.