While the closure of the therapy pool at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital has resulted in a wave of disappointed users, one Central Elgin resident is vowing to pressure hospital administrators into re-opening the pool relied on by Talbot Trail Physiotherapy clients and other area residents.
And we’re not talking about just anybody.
Sally Martyn is the former mayor of Central Elgin and STEGH board member along with a pool user.
Martyn held a meeting recently which dozens of concerned residents attended.
One of the outcomes of that meeting is to arrange a face-to-face session with hospital president and CEO Karen Davies.
“There were over 60 people who came (to the meeting),” advised Martyn.
“Several in wheelchairs and scooters, with canes, crutches and walkers. I was amazed that they made that effort to come out in the evening.
“Every one of them was struggling in some way, myself included. We agreed to set up a committee.”
To set the scene here, the hospital issued a statement on behalf of the facility and Talbot Trail Physiotherapy advising of a failure in the pool system on July 10.
It resulted in the flooding of nearby critical hospital areas and severe infrastructure damage.
The pool was immediately drained and hospital administration involved a third-party mechanical engineer to assess the damage.
A subsequent report revealed the infrastructure supporting the pool would require approximately $350,000 to repair, and even with these repairs, the risk of another flood cannot be eliminated due to the age and condition of the pool.
“If we are willing to pay for it, and make it safe, then why in the world would you not re-open it?”
In our conversation with Martyn, she advised the committee has a straightforward question for Davies.
“All we are asking her to do is if we raise the money, will you re-open the pool?
“And you have got to set up a foundation section for the pool because we have to be able to donate to the foundation (the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation).
“If we are willing to pay for it, and make it safe, then why in the world would you not re-open it?”
At last count, a petition had been circulated that now has well over 600 signatures.
The pool dates back to 1990 and was made possible thanks to the generosity of Barbara Turville, a long-time hospital employee.
Martyn stressed the pool is, “absolutely vital to the community and vital to the people the hospital serves.”
She reminded, “Your mission statement says your patients come first.
“Then what is wrong with this scenario where you’ve got a thousand clinical patients, 650 community pool people getting exercise and 175 taking lessons all in one month in that pool.”
The pool closure was discussed at the Oct. 7 city council members and the following resolution was unanimously approved.
That “Council request that St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital and Talbot Trail Physiotherapy keep the therapeutic pool facility open at the hospital until such time as a new pool facility is built in the city.”
Such a facility is likely many years down the road so there is a substantial need to keep the therapy pool operational.
We have heard that following the flood, which emptied about half the pool, it was refilled and no leaks were present.
Is this a case of hospital administration seeking alternative uses for that area and the pool failure allows for a convenient excuse to shut it down permanently?
As we understand, the only similar pool is located at Terrace Lodge outside Aylmer, although it is smaller.
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HOW IS THAT NOMINATION PROCESS COMING ALONG?
All has been quiet on the federal political front in St. Thomas and Elgin.
Specifically, since the end of July when MP Karen Vecchio announced in the myFM studio she would not seek re-election in the next federal vote.
If you remember, the next day former London radio broadcaster Andrew Lawton quickly took advantage and announced his intention to seek the nomination in Elgin-St. Thomas-London South as the re-jigged riding is now known.
Several attempts to reach higher-ups in the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) to address rumours Lawton would not face any competition proved unsuccessful.
So on Thursday of this week, we contacted Brad Clift, vice-president of the CPC riding association on key upcoming dates, including the membership due date at 5 p.m. yesterday (Oct. 11).
Clift advised, “The closing date for the nomination will be Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 5 p.m.
He indicated at least three individuals, including Lawton have submitted nomination papers.
“I do know that people seem to think that the nominations are already closed and that Andrew (Lawton) is the candidate. And that isn’t the case.”
He added, “We don’t know for sure who is in or out, because we are still waiting for the party to approve applicant’s applications.
“Once we know for sure that all three or four people have completed their applications and been approved, we can choose that date (for a nomination meeting and vote).”
Clift confirmed it is not a requirement for a potential candidate to reside in the riding.
“There is nothing in the party rules that states you would have to be someone living in the riding. You would just have to be someone who has held a membership for six months.”
He continued, “I do know that people seem to think that the nominations are already closed and that Andrew (Lawton) is the candidate. And that isn’t the case.
“There is still a nomination going on and in order for Andrew to be the candidate, there will have to be a vote.”
So, we await word on how many of the other candidate applications are approved.
Wouldn’t that prove convenient if not one of them passed muster?
Candidate application information can be found on the Conservative Party of Canada riding association website at http://www.eslscpc.ca.
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INCREASED RECRUIT CAPACITY AT ONTARIO POLICE COLLEGE
Positive news this week for police services across the province – particularly smaller forces like those in St. Thomas and Aylmer.
At the Ontario Police College near Aylmer on Wednesday, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner announced the province is about to put more police constables on the ground to assist small, medium and First Nations communities.
“To keep more communities safe,” noted Kerzner, “we need to put more boots on the ground and that is why we are here today.
“I am pleased to announce that our government, led by Premier Ford, is expanding the enrollment capacity for Ontario’s Basic Constable Training program by up to 80 additional recruits per year starting in 2025.”
The expanded enrollment beginning next year will bring the total number of officers trained per year to 2,080.
Kerzner pointed out last year, that the province eliminated the tuition fee for the Basic Constable Training program and established four recruit intakes per year at the college.
That’s up from the existing three intakes.
The Basic Constable Training program is the initial training undertaken by all police officers in the province.
“By prioritizing small, mid-size and First Nations police services, this expansion will significantly enhance our ability to maintain staffing levels and service delivery within our communities.”
Kerzner continued, “With the additional changes we’re announcing today, we will have increased the program capacity from 1,440 recruits per year in 2022, to 2,080 recruits per year in 2025.
“And that is a 44 per cent increase.”
Kyle Johnstone, Aylmer Police Service Deputy Chief advised the initiative to accommodate an additional 80 recruits each year at the Ontario Police College stressed this will greatly assist with staffing shortages.
“We welcome this government’s initiative to expand the Ontario Police College’s capacity within the Basic Constable Training Program.
“By prioritizing small, mid-size and First Nations police services, this expansion will significantly enhance our ability to maintain staffing levels and service delivery within our communities.”
Mark Baxter, Police Association of Ontario President noted, “The decision to expand the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College by an additional 80 recruits each year is a clear recognition of the growing needs of police services across the province.”
Courses in the program include federal, provincial and traffic law, human rights, diversity and professional practice, leadership, ethics, mental health for first responders and for people in crisis, physical wellness and fitness for duty, community safety, defensive tactics, use of force and de-escalation techniques, firearms and officer safety.
CITY BUDGET MONITORING
As of the halfway mark of this year, city staff are projecting a budget deficit of about $300,000 for the 2024 fiscal year.
This represents a variance of well below one per cent on the budget expenses of $155 million.
The information is included in a report from Deputy Treasurer Mathew Waite to city council for next week’s meeting.
He notes there are several contributing factors, including Southwestern Public Heath presenting their budget with the city’s levy being $1,528,845, whereas only $1,157,000 was budgeted.
This variance would result in a $371,845 deficit in that operational line for the 2024 fiscal year.
Other significant deficits as of June 30 include $190,000 in Environmental Services related to the Community Recycling Centre, household hazardous waste and animal control medical services.
In planning and building services, the deficit is in the range of $101,000 due to a loss in revenue from the Central Elgin Planning Advisory Committee agreement.
The St. Thomas Fire Department was in the red by about $100,000 on various budget line items.
The St. Thomas Police Service experienced a deficit of approximately $60,000 as a result of unexpected legal fees, and higher operational costs although there were some savings related to staffing numbers.
A significant surplus of $200,000 was noted in Social Services.
In his report to council Waite concludes, “For the remainder of the year, departments will look for operational savings to help offset the projected deficit. In addition, it’s important to note that the projected deficit is an estimate. There are many assumptions that are made in determining the year-end surplus/deficit.
“One assumption that could impact the surplus/deficit is the amount of supplemental taxes resulting from growth. If supplemental taxes exceed our estimates, that could change the year-end surplus/deficit.”
Still no indication of where we stand with expenses related to the development of the Yarmouth Yards industrial park.
Many millions of dollars in expenditures have been approved for numerous projects, with the money attributed to the industrial development fund.
What is the financial outlook on that budget item so far this year?
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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.
