The question begs an answer.
What exactly is going on with the city’s fire department?
We are now working on the third St. Thomas fire chief in under a year, what gives?
First, it was Bob Davidson, who came on board in January of 2018, after serving as deputy fire chief in Chatham-Kent.
Well, he served until July of last year when it was announced he abruptly retired.
Or did he?
Was he pressured into leaving?
Remember, the St. Thomas Professional Firefighters’ Association was more than a little upset when Davidson was brought aboard after the death of popular fire chief Rob Broadbent in August of 2017.
The decision was made at city hall to hire a chief externally, rather than from within the department with then Deputy Fire Chief Ray Ormerod considered a strong candidate.
Word has it Ormerod was not even granted an interview.
And then in November of last year, Kevin Welsh joined the department as chief after a three-year stint as chief in Renfrew after spending many years with Kingston Fire and Rescue.
At the beginning of this week, Welsh was removed from the post.
No reason has been given for his dismissal and there hasn’t even been a media release from the city announcing the shuffle that sees Deputy Chief Dave Gregory assume the role on what is being noted as an interim basis.
Former city CAO Wendell Graves was involved in the hiring of Welsh and city council – the members now sitting in the council chamber – approved his hiring.
So six months later, Welsh is shown the door.
Again, city council would have to approve his termination.
Upon the recommendation of CAO Sandra Datars-Bere.
What happened in those six months that Welsh was no longer deemed capable of guiding the ship?
Or is it a case of mayor and council being so inept at determining the qualifications and capabilities of a new hire?
What does this say about the judgment of the nine members of council on the other city hires over the past three years?
We contacted Datars Bere this week for insight into what transpired.
Of course, we expected the standard explanation that it’s a personnel matter and no comment will be forthcoming.
Datars Bere responded, “What I can say to you is Kevin is no longer the chief of the City of St. Thomas and Dave is now the chief on an interim basis and we are considering next steps as it relates to recruitment.”
Again, how did every single person in the hiring process, including members of council who approved the hiring of Welsh, get it so wrong?
Last November, Welsh told us he was looking forward to a new adventure in his life as St. Thomas Fire Chief.
Without a doubt, this is not the gut-wrenching adventure he anticipated.
Especially in light of the move to St. Thomas with his wife so he could be involved in community life instead of settling in say London or Aylmer or perhaps Glencoe.
He committed to living in St. Thomas where he was to be fire chief. Other top administrators including the former and current CAO and the new fire chief have not made the same pledge.
Can we assume Gregory was hired because he and only he can whittle that annual overtime budget down from its encroachment on the $500,000 mark as has been the case in recent years?
And how will he be able to work that magic now that firefighters are working 24-hour shifts which results in seven or so days in the firehall each month?
This corner is certainly open to a presentation, flow chart or whatever from the new chief or the St. Thomas Professional Firefighters’ Association on how this can be achieved.
Otherwise, ratepayers should be directing some uncomfortable questions toward all members of council in this election year.
You might just want to cc the city’s CAO while you’re at it.
Related posts:
A CROWDED CONTINGENT OF FAR-RIGHT CANDIDATES
If Elgin-Middlesex-London was a baseball team and not an electoral riding, it would have three players positioned very deep in right field.
We’ve already profiled one of the far-right candidates in the June 2 provincial election in New Blue Party of Canada hopeful, Matt Millar.
You can read about Millar here.
Earlier this month we talked to Ontario Party candidate, Brigitte Belton.
Like Millar, she is incensed over the freedoms we supposedly lost – and have never fully regained – as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She paints a picture of a wife, mother, and grandmother who has worked in a variety of vocations, including those of fitness instructor, customer service representative, school bus and truck driver, and business owner.
Belton is very proud of the fact she was one of the organizers of the Freedom Convoy which travelled to Ottawa earlier this year.
She points out, “I wasn’t looking to go into politics. I brought trucks to Ottawa, that’s what I did.
“Simply because our freedoms are being smothered and we needed to speak out.
“And, it wasn’t until we woke up and we spoke that everyone aligned with us.
“On the way home, I was like I’m not done. I have got to do something else.”
She splits her time between Wallaceburg and Aylmer and says she entered politics as a way to fight for the betterment of the community.
“If I can be me, go on my beliefs but make sure it’s in line with my community. Because that’s the whole reason I’m going there.
“I’m going there to fight for the community. My personal beliefs, if that’s not what the community wants, I have to put that aside anyway.
“I want to speak for the community. I want to bring this back to the community.”
Which community would that be?
“So, let’s get those nurses back to work. Let’s get those doctors back to work. Then, and only then, can we bring in immigrants into our country who are going through for nursing who meet our standard and must do a test.”
As for the Ontario Party, according to the principles on its website, it is “guided by a solemn desire to ensure the common good of the people of Ontario, present and future, while respecting the inherited wisdom and sacrifice of previous generations embodied in our culture and traditions.”
The party was established in May of 2018 based on the principles of freedom, family and faith. The party leader is Derek Sloan, a former Conservative MP who calls himself a patriotic conservative without apology.
Getting down to specific platform issues, Belton says to address affordable housing, we have to deal with the foreign influence element.
“We’re going to take away foreign influence. If you’re a foreigner and you’re not living in the house, you don’t have it. You can’t buy it.
“That’s just the way it will be in our province. Because we have tons of foreign influence purchasing houses here in Ontario.”
“If you want the government walking into your house and saying whatever you need to do, then you keep voting the way you’ve been voting. If you want change and want to be able to tell your children what they can and cannot do, without government interference, you’re going to vote for the Ontario Party.”
Belton added, that her party would establish a money-laundering task force that would root out corruption and institute regulatory changes related to real estate sales and purchases.
At an all-candidate forum this week at the CASO station in St. Thomas she went further, saying if you are a foreigner looking to buy a house as an investment, go buy one in Alberta.
As to healthcare, the Ontario Party is in favour of allowing non-profit organizations and private corporations to build, own, and manage hospitals.
And, it’s time to rehire healthcare workers released as a result of vaccine mandates.
“So, let’s get those nurses back to work. Let’s get those doctors back to work. Then, and only then, can we bring in immigrants into our country who are going through for nursing who meet our standard and must do a test.”
The Ontario Party would also increase public hospital bed capacity and hire thousands more healthcare workers.
If increased government interference in your life is of concern, Belton says your only choice in the June election is to vote Ontario Party.
“If you want the government walking into your house and saying whatever you need to do, then you keep voting the way you’ve been voting.
“If you want change and want to be able to tell your children what they can and cannot do, without government interference, you’re going to vote for the Ontario Party.”
Next week a conversation with Dave Plumb of the Freedom Party of Ontario.
MOVING TO PERSON-CENTRED CARE AT VALLEYVIEW
Last week we referenced a staffing increase at Valleyview Home resulting from increased provincial funding.
Council this week approved the recommendations of Valleyview administrator Michael Carroll.
While addressing council, Carroll pointed out the increased dollars acknowledge the fact that “long-term care has struggled over the past 15 or 20 years to meet the growing demand for services that we’re being asked to provide.”
Based on Valleyview’s reputation in the community and its competitive wage rate, Carroll suggested “I do see us being able to fill the positions. I won’t say with ease, but I think when we start the recruitment process in earnest, we certainly will be able to meet the demand, certainly in this first year.”
That was in response to a question from Coun. Joan Rymal on long-term care facilities across the province are now in hiring mode.
Coun. Lori Baldwin-Sands praised the efforts of administration and front-line staff whose excellent care has never waned at any point during the pandemic.
She questioned Carroll on the morale of the residents and staff at Valleyview.
“We’re trying to move away from a delivery system type of care to truly person-centred care where staff can spend more time with the residents and certainly engage them to have a holistic approach to care.”
Carroll’s answer is worth noting.
He said two words come to mind.
“One word would be resilience. I think there is a resilience built into them that they have come through 27 months of this pandemic and I think they are proud of what they have accomplished at Valleyview.
“And they should be proud of what they have accomplished at Valleyview. They are a dedicated group of employees who certainly love the residents they serve and are proud of the work that they do.
“And the second word I would use is tired. They have worked hard these past 27 months and I think what you are doing tonight if you approve the recommendations in this report will go a long way to certainly aid them with morale, certainly, but also helping them realize help is on the way.
“These additional staff members . . . will certainly go a long way in helping them understand that yes, we’ve been through a lot, but the government, the people and council are coming to help us.
“They are supporting us by bringing in these additional resources to aid us. And, I think the residents and their families realize . . . this additional care will certainly help them and allow them to have a greater quality of life.
“And will allow staff to truly engage in person-centred care with them. We’re trying to move away from a delivery system type of care to truly person-centred care where staff can spend more time with the residents and certainly engage them to have a holistic approach to care.”
Related post:
AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN RECONCILIATION
Back in March of last year, Coun. Gary Clarke requested city staff prepare a report for council on an Indigenous land acknowledgement.
At last Monday’s meeting (May 16), members adopted such a statement to be read at council meetings and other special events.
In a report to council, Jon Hindley from the clerk’s department advised, “Research has been undertaken to draft a statement that reflects the lands, peoples and communities, including signed treaties of this area.
“This draft statement should be considered as living and may evolve over time.”
And he cautioned, “To ensure that the statement is not used superficially, indigenous cultural awareness could be incorporated as part of the city’s development of an equity, diversity and inclusion framework.
“It is a small but important first step in the process (locally) of reconciliation.”
The land acknowledgement statement reads as follows:
“We acknowledge that the land on which we meet is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinabek, Attiwonderonk (Neutral) and Mississauga peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples.
“We also recognize that this land is now home to the Munsee-Delaware Nation, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and Oneida Nation of the Thames.
“This land was settled through Treaty 2, the McKee Purchase Treaty of 1790, and we, as beneficiaries of the treaty recognize our collective responsibilities to the land and water.”
In an email to this corner after the meeting, Coun. Clarke noted, “I am pleased to let you know that yesterday at our meeting we finally passed a resolution adopting such acknowledgment.
“It is a small but important first step in the process (locally) of reconciliation.”
Questions and comments may be emailed to City Scope
Visit us on Facebook
And a reminder, I can be heard weekday afternoons as news anchor and reporter on 94.1 myFM in St. Thomas. As always, your comments and input are appreciated.
Ian's City Scope 