Residents rally around ER
By TREVOR TERFLOTH, THE DAILY NEWS
"He didn't mince words about the lengths he was willing to go to prevent a possible ER closure.
"I'm prepared to take legal action to put an injunction against it," Gilbert said.
The chief said if the CKHA and LHIN can't manage the Wallaceburg facility, they should "give it back to people who can."
Wesley said there is a high demand for the Sydenham campus and believes it is desperately needed to take pressure off the Chatham facility. See http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1499748
The bad news is that the government is going to legislate energy requirements. Smitherman the former czar of health ie the LHIN creator is now going to attempt to solve the energy challenge in the same autocratic way - ie increase taxes, build an unaccountable bureuracray , and restrict competitive market choices - teaching this challenged Czar is only possible through citizen action and those with intellect to ask the right questions and see through the propaganda and mi's -information PR
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Participants in last night's forum were in no mood to answer a questionnaire about their emergency department.
More than 1,000 people attended a community meeting at Wallaceburg District Secondary School to discuss the future of the ER at the Chatham- Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) Sydenham campus.
While the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) had arranged for electronic voting technology to gather input, many in the crowd walked to the front to drop off their clicker devices.
In a report earlier this year, the Hay Group gave several recommendations, including converting Sydenham campus into an urgent-care centre.
The LHIN board is to make a decision in June.
Save Our Sydenham (SOS) chairman Jeff Wesley gave an address, as did Walpole Island Chief Joseph Gilbert, and both received a standing ovation as they entered the gymnasium.
Gilbert said he and his community fully support Wallaceburg citizens in their fight.
He didn't mince words about the lengths he was willing to go to prevent a possible ER closure.
"I'm prepared to take legal action to put an injunction against it," Gilbert said.
The chief said if the CKHA and LHIN can't manage the Wallaceburg facility, they should "give it back to people who can."
Wesley said there is a high demand for the Sydenham campus and believes it is desperately needed to take pressure off the Chatham facility.
"We are not a low-volume hospital," he said. "Quit repeating this."
Wesley said if the CKHA wants to cut costs it should begin at the administrative level.
Hospital CEO Ken Tremblay was not in attendance yesterday.
LHIN CEO Gary Switzer said he understood the emotions the community was feeling.
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Ron Anderson, with Chatham-Kent's economic development department, said, "that's the way it has to happen. It has to become law or (companies) search the world for these products.
"It's going to help the municipality at a time it's needed, right now," he added.
Jacques Gauthier, senior vice-president and chief operating officer with Kruger Energy, sees a benefit for having domestic content rules.
"If, in fact, the government puts a little pressure on the suppliers to install some facilities here in Ontario . . . it could be savings for everybody and it's a good idea," he said.
Gauthier said a company such as Siemens has a lot of facilities in Europe, but nothing in Canada, because wind energy is a relatively new industry here.
Chatham-Kent Essex MPP Pat Hoy, who hosted Smitherman during his visit, said, "Chatham-Kent is way ahead of the wave on this and they're to be commended."
He said the minister will make the changes to require investment here which "will be to the benefit of this whole region and, indeed, Ontario."
When asked if the province has a target for the amount of wind power it wants to see developed in the province, Smitherman said a number is not being put out there because "a target is a cap in my opinion."
Instead, he said the message being sent to investors is that Ontario seeks to be "a world leader in green, renewable energy."
Smitherman said he will move forward soon with a directive that will give guidance about where investments need to occur in transmission.
"This will give us some sense of the capacity that we're seeking to create and will help to flesh out those opportunities."
The act will also see the province take a more active role in deciding where renewable energy projects can be developed in Ontario.
Smitherman said the government has noticed several municipalities have struggled with such issues as determining appropriate setbacks for wind turbines.
He said the government will create a law that provide clear guidance "so that we don't have a patchwork quilt, but we have one circumstance for all of Ontario."
The guidelines will be defined by the Ministry of the Environment that is consistent with the environmental assessment act, he added.
However, Smitherman stressed municipalities will continue to have a say on proposed projects.
"No one will be surprised that something is coming forward," he said. "Consultation with the local community will remain a very, very important ingredient before any project is given the permit to be able to build.
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