Vote for a new hospital

Donate your $200 bribe to the foundation, then cast your ballot wisely

Much to the surprise of many hospital supporters in the community, we are into a provincial election without any announcement from the Progressive Conservative government that it will let the health ministry build us a new hospital.

As I reported in June, the government has shelved a proposal for $15.6 million in renovations to Campbellford Memorial Hospital that would have let the current space serve us better over the next decade or more.

That reluctance to renovate a 70-year-old building would be understandable if the government was actually ready to build a new facility, but other than a few hints it’s given no indication that it is.

Hospital CEO Jeff Hohenkerk said that while Premier Doug Ford was in town in September to celebrate the expansion of Blommer Chocolate’s factory he said that it was “a matter of when, not if” a new facility would be built.

Hohenkerk clearly saw this as good news that implied a decision was coming.

Maybe it’s just my inner Buddhist, but it stuck me the Premier’s phrase also could be applied to my death. And taxes, the only other certainty in life.

The current situation is that the hospital has a commitment for a land donation and has made it clear that the community is ready to start fundraising to outfit the new space.

But we have been stuck for more than two years simply waiting for a $2-3 million planning grant that would move the process along. Once the detailed plan is done it will then go into the lengthy province-wide queue to get approval. And once that is done it will take eight years or more to actually construct the facility.

Given that we are overdue for a recession and Trump is creating economic chaos, provincial spending is likely to be constrained in coming years.

I have suggested that the PCs would only announce the planning grant before the early election if they felt it was necessary to ensure David Piccini gets re-elected. Clearly, the lack of an announcement shows they don’t think voters in the north end of riding are going to stray.

They do appear worried about the south, though. Late Tuesday, just hours before the election was called, Piccini announced that the province would contribute $35 million for a new wastewater plant in Brighton. The struggle to get that approval mirrored our long-running hospital efforts.

I wrote a while back that I’d bet a new facility won’t be ready before 2040. Unfortunately, that bet is looking better with each passing month.

At the end of October I wrote a piece that touched a chord with several readers who have asked me to repeat the advice I gave then as a reminder to readers.

In that story I pointed out that Ford’s plan to send each of us a $200 cheque at a cost of $3 billion showed the province clearly had enough money to build a new hospital to serve the 40,000 people in our catchment area. It just had other priorities, such as beer at the Circle K or underwater parking in Toronto or a Highway 401 tunnel. The money being sent to the 13,000 residents of Trent Hills alone could fund the planning grant.

I suggested we take individual action by sending our $200 cheques to the Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundation. I had planned to write about my action once I received my cheque and passed the money on. However, so far, no cheque. Guess it is stuck in the mail. Hope it arrives before election day.

But what else can we do?

I think the answer is obvious. When you vote on Feb. 27, if you want a new hospital vote for anyone but Piccini.

I know that Piccini and PCs are likely to get re-elected but based on my experience as a journalist and as a political staffer, the quickest and probably the only way to get action is to demonstrate your displeasure at the ballot box. That’s the only way to get a political party’s attention.

I’ll let you know if/when I get my hospital grant money.

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