Hospital funds earmarked
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati arrived at Queen’s Park Thursday with “great expectations.”
After being invited by Premier Kathleen Wynne to visit the provincial legislature for Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s 2017 budget announcement, he suspected that funding for that long-awaited hospital could be a reality.
But he couldn’t be sure until he saw “Niagara” on page 81 of the budget book he was given, listed as an Ontario community that would benefit from $9 billion earmarked for the construction of new hospitals during the next decade.
“Until you see it in print, you don’t really believe it,” he said. “It was a feeling of both relief and excitement at the same time.”
Diodati has been lobbying for the construction of the new hospital in his city for most of his seven years that he has served as mayor. Seeing that dream closer to reality than ever before “was a euphoric feeling.”
“You work so hard for something that you’re so passionate about and it comes to fruition, it was the same kind of feeling with the GO train, except this is a much bigger ticket item,” he said. “It means the residents of Niagara south are going to get the same kind of hospital they received in Niagara north. No matter what, the message is better health care at a better price, and we’re just happy to move the ball forward.
“It’s time, and we’re happy the government recognized it.”
Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates also welcomed the news, especially considering the condition of the existing Niagara Falls hospital serving his constituents.
“It’s important that we get the new hospital built as quickly as possible,” the New Democrat said.
“Not only do we have our 90,000 residents, but tourism is just going through the roof down in Niagara Falls.”
Niagara Health System welcomed the news, calling it a “significant boost” in its efforts “to build a healthier Niagara.”
In a media release, NHS president Suzanne Johnston said she’s looking forward to receiving more details about the funding.
For instance, NHS is still awaiting formal approval of redevelopment proposals submitted to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in 2015 and in 2016 which include centres of excellence for stroke, eye care, seniors wellness, complex care and academic education, all which would be located in Niagara Falls.
The NHS proposal also called for building a new facility to replace the existing Welland hospital that would include urgent care, dialysis clinics, outpatient clinics for medical and surgical patients, diagnostic imaging, ultrasound and radiology, as well as a lab and other services.
Despite the funding announcement, Welland political leaders haven’t given up on their yearslong fight to preserve hospital services in the Rose City.
Mayor Frank Campion said the good news for Niagara Falls doesn’t necessarily mean the end of Welland’s hospital.
“Congratulations to Niagara Falls,” Campion said. “We’ve always maintained that Niagara Falls needs a new hospital — but so do we.”
Welland MPP Cindy Forster said she, too, has firmly maintained that “Niagara Falls needs a new hospital.”
“I’ve never opposed that,” the New Democrat said.
But she also believes that building that hospital must not come at the expense of shutting down Welland’s hospital, which serves area residents including those from Port Colborne, Wainfleet and Pelham.
Campion said working with Forster and other south Niagara mayors, he’s continuing to work with the provincial government and Niagara Health System regarding efforts to keep the Welland hospital open.
“I’m not convinced they know what they’re doing with the Welland hospital site, or the concept of keeping a hospital in Welland,” he said.
“The last words we heard from the province including (premier) Kathleen Wynne was, I think they were committed to the hospital in Niagara Falls, but were not sure what was going to happen with our hospital,” he said.
“I would imagine, and I’m hoping and guessing that hasn’t changed. I’m not sure that funding a hospital for Niagara Falls necessarily equates to closure of the Welland hospital.”
Forster said she and others in south Niagara, including area mayors, “are still maintaining that people who live in south Niagara need and deserve to have as full service hospital as can be, considering that there will be other things that will continue to be done in St. Catharines.”
“We’re not going to give up that fight.”
The Niagara Falls hospital is proposed to be built at Montrose and Biggar roads, at Lyon’s Creek Road.
She said the New Democratic Party, too, is the only party on record that supported keeping small and rural hospitals, as well as schools, open across the province.
“I do not anticipate any change in that position going into a provincial election next year,” Forster said.