HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-04-26, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2007.
After eight months of negotiations
and deals that never came to fruition,
Huron East is ready to break ground
on a new healthcare facility.
Huron East mayor Joe Seili, who
spearheaded this project from the
beginning was joined by fellow
councillors, healthcare
professionals, members of the
Community Development Trust and
members of the Family Health Team
to break ground at the future site of a
new healthcare facility in Seaforth.
This move comes at the end of
months of negotiations that went
nowhere, according to Seili, and a
need for quality healthcare in Huron
County; a need that much of rural
Ontario is feeling right now.
“We’ve been trying to negotiate
this for at least eight months and all
the time we’re supposed to be hiring
people, but if you don’t have a place
to house people, it’s hard to hire
them,” Seili said.
“That’s when we decided ‘enough
is enough’ we’ll carry on and build
the building and look to the future.”
This decision came late. Seili says
it came at “the 11th hour, or slightly
after”, with the final touches being
put on their future healthcare goals
in closed session after council’s
April 17 meeting.
Seili hopes that building on the
new structure will happen as soon as
the fall, as council waits on an
architect’s drawings that should be
in their hands by April 27.
The site for the new building will
be just behind the existing clinic on
the property just east of the
Community Care Access Centre in
Seaforth.
“Seaforth, being right in themiddle of the agricultural part ofrural Ontario, would be a perfect fitfor any new programs to come out,”Seili says.
Seili has a vision for the new
facility and says the property is huge
and gives the municipality a lot of
room to work with.
“In building the new facility, it’s
going to be a lot more flexible
because we know that as government
changes, so do mandates and now
with the ownership of the building,
and hopefully with the design of the
building we can change it when we
need to,” Seili said.
Seili is hoping the new facility will
house a Georgian College suite that
will allow for courses. In addition to
that, there will have to be treatment
rooms, a conference room, a waiting
room and medical suites.
“Plus, you never know what else
we’ll put there,” Seili said.
The municipality will own 50 per
cent of the building, split right down
the middle with the Huron
East/Seaforth Community
Development Trust.While it is still unsure how muchmoney council intends to spend onthis new building, Seili said they’vebeen setting aside $50,000 a year for
this project. He hopes to stay under
that number, but that’s what they
have been banking on all this time.
Seili insists that because the
municipality will own half of the
new building, all decisions regarding
the new facility will come through
council for discussion and approval.
In the meantime, Seili says they
have not stopped looking for an
interim home for the Family Health
Team and that Maplewood Manor is
still up for sale. Ideally, the Family
Health Team was looking to lease,
but Seili says it’s possible that a
group of private investors could buy
the property and they can work from
there until the new facility is up and
running; a date that Seili won’t
speculate on.
While Seili and councillor Joe
Steffler are happy they’ve finally
gotten to this point, it is clear they’re
HE breaks ground for new healthcare facility
Taking care
All those involved in the long road it’s been to get to this point were on hand for a
groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new healthcare facility coming to Seaforth. Back
row, from left: Ralph Laviolette, Huron East economic development officer; Bill Teall, Huron
East/Seaforth Community Development Trust; Luke Janmaat, economic development
committee, Huron East/Seaforth Community Development Trust; Rudy Jansen, Huron
East/Seaforth Community Development Trust and Paul Nichol, Huron Business Development
Corporation. Middle row: Dr. Dan Rooyakkers, lead physician, Family Health Team; Jim
McNichol, Family Health Team board member; Jim Sills, Huron East/Seaforth Community
Development Trust; Ruth Bauer; Orval Bauer, Bill Siemon, and David Blaney, Huron East
councillors. Front row: Joan Spittal, social worker, Family Health Team; Maureen Agar, Huron
East/Seaforth Community Development Trust; Joe Steffler, councillor, Huron East/Seaforth
Community Development Trust; Joe Seili, mayor; Olga Palmer, I.T. Specialist, Family Health
Team and Bob Fisher, councillor; president of Chamber of Commerce, Huron East/Seaforth
Community Development Trust. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
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R.R. 2 Bluevale
It’s Gardening Time
• Natural Mulch • Screened Topsoil
• Regular Topsoil
(call ahead to make arrangements)
• Sand • Gravel • Fill • Loading & Hauling
• Backhoeing • Bulldozing • Excavating
Delivery
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TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HURON
BLYTH WARD and WINGHAM WARD
GARDEN REFUSE & TREE BRANCH PICKUP
Notice is hereby given that the Township will pick up refuse on Monday,
May 7, 2007 and all refuse must be on the side of the road by 8:00 a.m.
Large limbs and branches must be kept separate from the garden
refuse and grass clippings.
All other forms of rubbish will not be collected and must be prepared for
regular garbage pick up.
This will be the only 2007 spring pickup. Residents may take
garden refuse and tree branches to the Township landfills during
regular landfill hours free of charge.
Landfill Hours of Operations
Wingham Landfill
Tuesday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (May 1st to Sept. 30th)
Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
East Wawanosh Landfill
Wednesday 6:00 p.m.to 9:00 p.m. (May 1st to Sept. 30th)
Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Blyth-Hullett Landfill
Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Ralph Campbell
Director of Public Works
Township of North Huron
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
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