The Citizen, 2008-02-14, Page 1The CitizenVolume 24 No. 7 Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 $1.25 ($1.19 + 6c GST)
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Inside this week
Pg. 2
Pg. 3
Pg. 6
Pg. 8
Pg. 10
Huron East sees
library petition
McClinchey book in
Library of Parliament
Getting your
finances in order
Local teams play in
Blyth tournament
County services for
infants and up
A new statutory holiday makes its
debut this Monday.
Legislated by the provincial
government Family Day is the third
Monday of February and brings the
total number of statutory holidays
for Ontarians to nine, on par with
Saskatchewan, Alberta and British
Columbia.
For staff to have the opportunity to
enjoy the holiday,The Citizen
offices will be closed on Monday,
Feb. 18.
The deadline for articles and
advertising copy to be included in
the Feb. 21, must, therefore, be in the
Blyth office by 2 p.m. Friday, and in
Blyth by 4 p.m.
Offices
closed
Monday
Huron County is digging into its
pockets to grant $500,000 towards
the new CT scanner for Goderich
Alexandra & Marine General
Hospital.
The decision came after a
presentation to county councillors at
the Feb. 6 meeting. But it didn’t
come easily. While councillors
generally seemed to agree with the
idea of the donation, they were at
odds, at times heatedly, over where
to get the money and how to dole it
out.
With the issue having been voted
on at a previous meeting, council
had to first pass a motion to revisit
the issue, opening the floodgates to
an hour-and-a-half debate.
Noting that the first request to
county from the committee had been
for a commitment of $1 million over
five years, Bluewater councillor
Dave Johnston wondered if this
request was to be paid in a lump sum
or phased over five years.
Bill Thibert, hospital CEO said,
“We’ll take it any way you slice it
up. All of it in one year is obviously
preferred, but over five years will be
greatly appreciated.”
It was noted that there has been no
figure placed in the budget at this
point.
Johnston said that in the early
discussions, councillors expressed a
view the committee should do some
fundraising towards the scanner.
“It’s nice to see that an attempt has
been made to raise money.”
To date over $3.4 million has been
raised from industry, businesses,
individuals and service clubs from
across the county.
“This report indicates the group
has shown a leadership role,” said
Johnston, adding that he would
support the request.
Councillor Bill Dowson of
Bluewater said he was encouraged
by the support that had been shown
for the campaign. “I looked at the
people who donated. If I had any
doubts that there was support for this
piece of equipment they’re gone.”
Huron East councillor Bill Siemon
asked how many of the hospitals in
the current network have a CT
scanner and what the wait time
currently is.
Colleen Maguire, manager of
diagnostic imaging, said that there
are 18 hospitals in the network, five
of which have scanners. “But we
don’t have access yet to them all.”
Referrals at this point are to
Walkerton and London.
Patients are seen within 24 hours,
while non-urgent patients can wait
for four to six months, she said.
It was explained that even if
patients go to Walkerton, the fact
that Huron will have a scanner will
lessen the patient load on other
hospitals.
With more scanners, patients will
have more options. “It makes
everyone more efficient,” said
Thibert.
South Huron councillor Ken Oke
said the scanner should be good for
economic development and
physician recruitment. “The CT
scanner tells everyone we’re
progressive.”
“It’s the only way we’ll recruit
doctors,” agreed Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh councillor Ben Van
Diepenbeek. “We deserve to have
this in Huron.”
Van Diepenbeek made a motion to
take $500,000 out of the
“appropriate” reserves, prompting
some friendly, and some not-so-
friendly discussion.
Huron East councillor Bernie
MacLellan acknowledged that while
he had initially been opposed to the
request because of the fact it was
coming from tax dollars, he had
changed his mind. “There appears to
be a lot of community support so I
support this. But I don’t like the idea
of taking money from reserves.”
MacLellan then suggested a
friendly amendment to the motion.
Goderich councillor Deb Shewfelt
said there had been a general feeling
among councillors before that there
was more comfort with the money
coming from reserves because it had
accumulated over time.
It was when warden John Bezaire
of Central Huron, vacated the chair
to present a new option that things
heated up. “Everyone realizes I’ve
had to struggle with this issue. In
essence I support the scanner but
would prefer an amendment.”
He said he had spoken to Justice
James Donnelly about giving the
profits from the sale of his book
towards the scanner. The county
could then come up with ways to
generate the dollars to make up any
shortfall, rather than use property
taxes.
Speaking to the general feeling
that this is a healthcare issue, thus a
provincial concern, Bezaire said his
amendment would legitimize the
county to upper-tier “when we go to
them and say you have fallen down
on this issue, but we found a
solution.”
“Why wouldn’t they patronize us
when they see us raise taxes to pay
their bills?”
MacLellan for one, thought
Bezaire’s suggestion was an ideal
solution. “I really like this idea.
From a fundraising standpoint, it’s
always easier when people
physically get something for their
donation. I applaud it.”
Other councillors were less
enthusiastic. “I don’t like the idea,”
said Dowson. “It’s not saying we’re
giving them the money but that we
will if we can raise it. I think we
have to make a firm commitment.”
Lost school days... Not critical
yet, but getting there.
Steve Howe, communications
manager of the Avon Maitland
District School Board said the
number of snow days is above
average for this year, but “far from
our worst. However, we are getting
to the level where discussions have
begun as to what action might be
necessary.”
Howe explains that complicating
the issue is the fact that the number
of missed days varies significantly
across the district. “For example in
urban areas, such as Stratford, there
are very few closures. But outside
where the majority of students are
bussed it’s a different story. That’s
where we have a wide variance.”
North Huron has been hardest hit
with 10 closures in some schools.
This is getting close to one of the
worst years, 2004, when Howe said
there were 13 snow days in January,
followed by several again in
February. “We have had the same
type of situation the last few weeks
with the school closed several times
in a row.”
The decision to close schools
occurs after early-morning
consultations between bus drivers
and principals. “The bus drivers
check things out long before the
scheduled runs. If the bus company
feels it’s unsafe the buses don’t run.
The final call on closing the school
My funny Valentine
Colby Dale proudly shows off his Valentine puppet created for his mommy and daddy just in
time for Feb. 14. The children at Walton’s Little School were busy on Friday with Valentine’s
Day crafts. (Bonnie Gropp photo
County agrees to give $500,000 to CT scanner
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Continued on page 6
Schools
make up
lost
time
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Continued on page 6