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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2001-05-16, Page 201,,,cgrA.it- 4 t Zte41 ,exzwolootalways.....* • Out like a light A Blyth firefighter quickly extinguished the flames shooting out from under this pickup. Last Wednesday afternoon about 3:30 p.m. the driver was travelling east on Winthrop Road in Hullett. Applying the brakes at the intersection of Seed Line, he got a bit of a surprise when discovering flames coming from beneath the truck. He hopped on a bicycle left lying at the end of a laneway and rode to alert the homeowners, who promptly called 9-1-1. Ideas for Come and visit the area's largest selection of plants under one acre of clean, well laid out and attractive greenhouse space. Buy direct from the best grower in Huron County and have plants that will flower all season for you. Everything you need for your garden, including... "The waves, proven winners and many of the new cultured varieties everyone is talking about." 1000s of geraniums all in one greenhouse, a sight to behold Petunias in a rainbow of colour Impatiens in at least 30 colours, 100s of perennials Vegetable plants from broccoli to zucchini Tomato plants for chili sauce 1000s of hanging baskets in all colours and combinations Potted containers and colour bowls We will plant your planters, in your choice of colours and it will be ready for you in a few weeks. Nursery stock, windbreak trees Ted's Tasty Tomatoes NOW READY! Our blooming perennial gardens are never the same - Come visit them often —4 Qcocieneit'i Pa tie — Wholesale & Retail R1R.#1 Bayfield, ON NOM 100 519-482-3020 Nlc( I , / . 4 ILlfri ,11/1// 'Ji ) ll ih.;-4 )) By Mark Nonkes Citizen staff The decision to end the talks of creating a new hospital. that would merge the hospitals in Clinton and Goderich. has created anger among health care professionals. The plans were put on the shelf when a location for a new hospital could not be reached at a meeting last Monday, May 7. Many letters of concern and frus- tration have been sent to the board members at both the Clinton Public Hospital and Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich from many people who work at both hos- pitals. "This has been a week of disap- pointment and low morale," said Shannon Kerr, who works at both the Goderich and Clinton hospitals. Many health care professionals wanted a new site because it would improve the chance for new technol- ogy to be brought into the area. . Currently many residents have to travel outside of the county to receive the treatment they need. It was hoped the new hospital could bring in some more technology so residents wouldn't have to leave the county as often."The idea of a new 'state of the art' facility seemed like a dream come true and now the dream Huron County council Thursday, gave staff the green light to start negotiations to acquire sites for per- manent ambulance stations between Clinton and Seaforth and at Goderich. The county will offer to buy one acre of land at.the corner of Kinburn Rd. from John Van Dooran for the Site to serve the Clinton-Seaforth ambulance station. Huron East Councillor Lin Sterner was not pleased by the offer, arguing that the station will be built on land zoned for agriculture. She wondered if the zoning change might mean a delay because of an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board. Meanwhile Seaforth Hospital has offered a site on its grounds, she "said. In Goderich, an offer will be made to Sellinger Wood Ltd. to purchase a half-acre parcel across from Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. A meeting is scheduled this month to negotiate a five-year lease with the Wingham and District Hospital to house the ambulance for the northern part of the county. Staff was given the job of finding a new site in South Huron, however. The site being considered in the Smith Peat building had been offered at $3,100 a month plus GST on a 15-year lease but wouldn't be available until the owner builds another building for its own use. The South Huron station again brought more heated debate. South Huron Councillor Rob Morley argued that by using the existing ambulance station in 'Zurich, "I believe we can have two stations for less than the cost of one." The coun- ty is estimating the cost of building a new three-bay station at $300,000 to $400,(X)0. Using Zurich as the base for one station would mean faster service to the lakeshore area and Bayfield, Morley argued. But Bernie McLellan, Huron East councillor, said the statistics shov, is over .so quickly," said Laurel Austin, of the transcription depart- ment at the Clinton Public Hospital. As there is a shortage of health care professionals in rural Ontario it was believed that a new larger and more up-to-date facility would be able to better compete in attracting more health care professionals and more specialists. Also a number of the health care professionals, especially nurses. work part time at both the Goderich and Clinton hospitals. One hospital would not mean splitting time between two sites. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a facility we can all benefit from and leave to our children," Austin said. The two. hospital boards have been meeting since January over the _issue of a single hospital. Although there are no immediate plans to revisit the hospital site debate, health care employees urge the boards not to stop talking about a new facility. "This is an opportunity the resi- dents of our communities should not miss out on. Please reconsider," wrote Kerr to the boards. Without a new facility Goderich's Alexandra Marine and General Hospital will need an expansion that could cost up to $20 million. service wouldn't be improved by a station in Zurich. Since most of the ambulance use in South Huron is based in Exeter, the second ambu- lance based in Zurich would spend most of its time in Exeter anyway, he said. Jon Hambides, the county's con- sultant, agreed that there are only 10-13 calls a month in Zurich, and one or two in Dashwood (where another former station was situated). Even if all the calls made into the area from the Lambton ambulance service, based in Grand Bend are included, there are only 20-30 calls a month into the area west of Exeter, Hambides said. Paul Klopp, Bluewater councillor, argued for the Zurich location. "We're talking people's lives," he said. But Carol Mitchell, Central Huron councillor, argued the plans for the four stations are just the beginning of designing the ambulance system. "What we're doing is building a foundation. If you want to enhance the service in the future you can. If we feel down the road, that the serv- ice should be enhanced, we'll have a sound basis for judging the need." A motion to explore the Zurich option was tabled until after a study on the first few months of operation of the ambulance service is present- ed in June. Council also authorized the calling of tenders for design of three ambu- lance stations. When questioned, Lynn Murray, county clerk-adminis- trator, said the basic design would likely be much the same with exter- nal changes possible to suit each site. Dave Urlin, councillor for South Huron, urged staff to look at the Brussels Fire Hall as a perfect model for the stations. Perhaps it would save money, he said. Check out our WEBSITE at www.northhuron.on.ca PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2001. Hosp. merger collapse frustrates profess ionals County green lights ambulance site buys