Tag Archives: healthcare

10.04.25
by

‘Our communities feel abandoned by the very institutions meant to protect them.’ – St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp

“In communities plagued by chronic criminality, safety seems to have become a privilege instead of a fundamental right.”
A compelling observation from St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp.
It was not spoken at city hall during a council meeting; instead, it was delivered Thursday afternoon via video conferencing to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights at their meeting in the Wellington Building in Ottawa.
Elgin-St. Thomas-London South MP Andrew Lawton sits on the committee, as does Brantford-Brant Conservative MP Larry Brock, who visited St. Thomas in July for a roundtable discussion to examine the evolving challenges impacting public safety in St. Thomas and Aylmer.

Continue reading →

05.10.25
by

‘We need to be proactive in our planning’ – St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital President and CEO Karen Davies, in the pitch for a new facility

To pick up from our advance story last week on the future of St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, President and CEO Karen Davies appeared before city council at Monday’s (May 5) meeting in the first of what she would like to see as regular opportunities to keep you “apprised at everything that’s going on in the hospital.”
Davies continued, “And so I’m not coming here asking for money today. It happens to be that the update I’m going to provide you with is really based on our space and capacity, and some of those concerns. It’s not a request for money.”
She reminded members of council that the hospital is over 70 years old, “And so the idea that we need a new building shouldn’t be a surprise really to anybody.”

Continue reading →

10.05.24
by

With an operational MRI, ‘It’s a new beginning for healthcare’ in St. Thomas and Elgin county

In May of this year, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital launched the Transforming Tomorrow Campaign, a new fundraising campaign because “Our community deserves access to the best possible care right around the corner, not in the next city over.”
That was the assertion of Jeff Yurek, chair of the campaign with a goal of $8 million to acquire a state-of-the-art MRI to be housed at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital.
And on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 1), Yurek officially opened the MRI suite at STEGH.
In the process, calling it “a milestone day.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place just two months after the arrival of the MRI.
The highly advanced scanner employs powerful magnets and radio waves to produce detailed 3D images of internal organs and structures.

Continue reading →

09.21.24
by

The Elgin Community Health Hub fills a ‘crucial gap in healthcare’ for residents of St. Thomas and Elgin

There was positive healthcare news announced Friday (Sept. 20) for thousands of residents of St. Thomas and Elgin county.
A new primary care clinic is opening Monday in St. Thomas and appointments are now available.
The Elgin Community Health Hub at 230 First Avenue will fill a gap for about 10,000 individuals without a primary care provider, explained Jill Strong, executive director of the Thames Valley Family Health Team.
And provide an option for another 20,000 or so people who use the services of a healthcare provider located outside Elgin county.
“Starting Monday, Sept. 23, Elgin (and St. Thomas) residents seeking health care have a new option, the Elgin Community Health Hub.

Continue reading →

08.17.24
by

“We’re not really trying to truly fix blame, we’re trying to fix the problem – St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston on homelessness and housing

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) annual conference begins tomorrow (Sunday) and runs through Aug. 21 in Ottawa.
At the beginning of June, we spoke with St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston regarding which provincial ministers were a priority for the city’s delegation.
At that time, the key meetings would be with the Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Sarkaria to discuss regional transportation; Attorney General Doug Downey to address concerns facing the St. Thomas Police Service; and the new Minister of Education, Jill Dunlop.
The latter was appointed yesterday (Friday) afternoon after the resignation of Todd Smith, in the portfolio for less than three months after a June cabinet shuffle.

Continue reading →

08.10.24
by

‘She did it the right way’ – former MP Joe Preston’s take on Karen Vecchio’s representation in Elgin-Middlesex-London

In announcing at the end of July she would not seek re-election, MP Karen Vecchio praised St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston as someone who “will always be one of my confidants.”
And, speaking with Preston this week, he reciprocated with a quip he has laid on me more than once.
“I took five minutes and taught her everything I know.”
While it is generally acknowledged she first got a taste of politics working in Preston’s constituency office, the former Elgin-Middlesex-London MP reminded me that Vecchio’s introduction to political representation goes back even further.
Many years ago she went door-to-door campaigning for Bill Aarts as he sought a seat on St. Thomas municipal council.

Continue reading →

07.27.24
by

Zero tolerance versus common sense when dealing with trespassing issues at the CN Rail yard in St. Thomas

A leisurely Saturday afternoon bike ride down memory lane proved an expensive outing for St. Thomas resident John Van Duynhoven and his wife.
As they briefly rode their bikes near the tracks at the CN yard at the end of St. Catharine Street, they were stopped by CN police and ticketed for trespassing.
The incident occurred last Saturday and we spoke with him midweek.
Because of a lack of clear signage, 71-year-old Duynhoven stressed they were unaware of where the CN property line is.
“I am a senior and if I sounded nervous on the phone when I left you a message, it’s because I have a lot of anxiety over this.
“I haven’t slept for a couple of days very well because it was an innocent bicycle ride on a Saturday afternoon.
“We were going out to see how the construction was going on Scott Street.”

Continue reading →

10.01.22
by

An answer to ‘Why are we still talking about this?’

We live today in a house so divided. city_scope_logo-cmykHowever, yesterday (Friday) over the noon hour at city hall, a hundred or so individuals were able to cast aside their differences and unite in what the colour orange represents.
The sea of orange gathered to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.
A day to remember but equally important to learn.
To learn what we were never taught in school.
The dark chapter in this country’s history.
A chapter finally seeing the light of day as a result of hundreds and ultimately thousands of unmarked graves of young children.
Young Indigenous children, the victims of cultural genocide.
Students snapped from their homes and shuffled off to residential schools where their identities were erased.
The last of which closed as recently as 1996.

Continue reading →