WEEDC defends spending on hospital campaign
It's difficult to sell the region to potential business investors when there's a substandard health care system, the CEO of the Windsor Essex County Development Corporation told city council on Monday.
That's why the organization's board unanimously approved spending $270,000 on an outside consultant to create the “We Can't Wait” campaign that pushed for advancement of the proposed $2-billion new hospital plan, said the development corporation's CEO Stephen Mackenzie.
“In 2019, this wasn't in the province's five-year capital budget,” he said. “We're an economic development agency. A strong health system is part of the package we market for the region and we are lacking there.”
The new hospital is a “huge legacy project,” not unlike the Gordie Howe International Bridge that's currently under construction, Mackenzie said.
In late March, the nine-year odyssey to secure a new stateof-the-art acute care hospital for the region received confirmation in the provincial budget that it's moving to the critical Stage 2 of the process. It's also receiving $9.8 million to fund the two years of complex planning and design that's required before moving to construction of the “megahospital” on County Road 42.
“It will be something very important for stability of the region,” Mackenzie told councillors. “Going into 2020, the status was uncertain.”
The CEO was called to appear before city council to answer questions about the large amount spent last year on an outside consultant, given that the city already contributes roughly $1 million toward its annual operating budget.
Coun. Rino Bortolin expressed concern after hearing from small business owners who were upset about the development corporation's spending on the campaign, which included lawn signs and Christmas cards.
He noted how other groups already existed in Windsor to advocate for the hospital project with petition campaigns and lobbying the government.
“So, why not work with those groups instead of spending the money (on the campaign)?”
But Mackenzie defended the spending, given the recent good news in the provincial budget. The campaign did contact and work alongside all existing groups locally pushing for the new hospital, he said.
“But they weren't making the connection and getting their message through at Queen's Park,” Mackenzie said. “That was the difference with this campaign.”
He estimated 300,000 people were reached by the We Can't Wait campaign, with 3,500 emails sent by residents using the We Can't Wait banner to key government leaders.
“In 10 months, we have gone from not even being mentioned in the (province's) five-year capital plan, to the minister of finance referring to our (campaign),” Mackenzie said.
Bortolin also called into question the campaign buying a full-page congratulatory ad in The Windsor Star “for a victory lap,” even after the government announcement was secured. The corporation upset some small business owners with the ad, given the ongoing pandemic struggles, he said.
Mackenzie's response was that he had no regrets: “Part of it was to thank everyone who supported our case. It was also to recognize the government that moved this forward. It was all within our budget.”
He concluded that once the consultant's contract expires in two months, no further outside expenditures are planned. All future expenses in advocating for the new hospital will occur in-house within the corporation's existing operations, he said.