Council this week: Health, wealth and recreation updates

By Sharon Harrison
Topics discussed at council this week ranged from an update from Southeast Public Health post the recent amalgamation, and a segment on organ and tissue donation.

Council also received a report on the municipal accommodation tax financial position. And it requested reports from staff to provide an analysis and forecast of the County’s debt position.

A first quarter report was also received on recreation facilities activity, and progress to date.

Summary highlights:

Quinte Organ Transplant Support Group
Council heard from Mark Londry and Lauralee Cowan of the Quinte Organ Transplant Support Group who shared an informative presentation about organ and tissue donation, and transplantation in Ontario. Both are liver transplant patients, and in Cowan’s case, she has received two liver transplants.

As the founder and president of the group, formed in November last year, Londry outlined what they do, what their mission is, and provided some statistics, along with reasons why people should choose to donate their organs, how donors are matched to recipients, the types of donation, along with addressing some misconceptions (i.e. age is not a negative factor).

The purpose of the presentation however is to spread the word, educate folks and create more interest and awareness about organ donation, and the importance of registering. Londry suggested people can look on the back of their health card to know if they are a registered as a donor.

One donor can save up to eight lives, and transform up to 75 more, but folks need to be signed up to make a difference where it was noted that more than eight million people in Ontario have yet to sign up to be a donor. However, the good news is donor registration rates in Prince Edward County (which includes Quinte shores and east Northumberland) is 53 per cent – better than the Ontario figure of 35 per cent.

“I just assumed everybody signed-up to be a donor, and after I had my transplant, I realized that only 35 per cent of eligible people actually sign-up,” shared Londry. “People die and there really is no need for it at 35 per cent, and that’s why we do the work that we are doing here today.”

2025 Ontario key statistics:
1,088 organ transplants were performed
362 deceased organ donors gave the gift of life
2,051 tissue donors saved or transformed thousands of lives
114 people died while on the waitlist.

On average, 1,500 people in Ontario are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant; thousands more are waiting for a life-enhancing tissue transplant. Every three days in Ontario, a person dies while waiting for a transplant. The reality is much higher though as Londry explained that that doesn’t include those who are removed from the list (if they become too sick, for example).

“Imagine the decisions doctors have to make when there are so few people –who lives and who dies really?- and that’s decisions they make every day, and it’s only because not enough people sign-up.”

Southeast Public Health update
Nathan Townend, board chair of the Southeast Public Health (SEPH), and deputy warden of Loyalist township, delivered an update on the organization’s activities and priorities.

He explained what public health is, the story and the role of SEPH, and the changes and challenges it faces, especially financially, and the purpose it serves, as well as the recent merger of Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington, Hastings Prince Edward, and Leeds Grenville and Lanark public health units.

Townend explained the difference between health care and public health. He said, each have an important role to play and they are different, but they are connected.

“In a nutshell, public health is about the work to keep us, the public, healthy as a whole,” explained Townend. “Whereas, health care, those involved in primary, secondary and tertiary care, are concerned with the treatment of injury and illness in individual persons.”

“Health care, if you like, looks at the trees; public health looks at the forest.”

Townend also spoke to provincial funding not keeping up with inflation.

“In the long-term, if provincial funding for public health remains set only at a one percent annual increase, it will remain a challenge in the long-term to keep that subsidy split sustainable at a 25/75 percent range and still maintain service.”

Of most significance is the $1.3 million operational deficit SEPH faces which must be covered through prudent cost-saving measures, it represents costs for which there is no direct funding, explained Townend. “So unless dealt with proactively it will continue to accrue and balloon in successive years.“

Councillor Bill Roberts (also SEPH vice-chair), said it is important for people to know that it isn’t just one percent for a certain year.

“Every year since 2018, public health has only received a one percent increase in its budget, which ends up being a net negative year-over-year reduction in public health’s budget,” stated Roberts. He also stated that Ontario has the lowest per-capita investment in public health in the country.

“Clearly, health care is in their [the province’s] purview, it is not particularly a municipal issue; one percent a year and then programs that they are not funding, its going to be catastrophic,” suggested councillor Janice Maynard.

“This is unsustainable for local municipalities, and the province needs to know that clearly this is their responsibility and they better step-up to the plate because there is dire consequences otherwise, for municipalities and the people that we serve,” she said.

County finances
Council received a report from the finance department on tax tools and policies for 2026 property taxation, for information only. This is a standard report produced annually at this time of year, in advance of the final property tax bills being sent out.

Council also received the 2025 municipal accommodation tax (MAT) financial report which contains an overview of the MAT revenue and expenses for that year, covering the 814 licensed operators.

It noted that in 2025, the municipality collected $1,541,672 in MAT revenue which is divided (after administrative costs) with 50 per cent going to the municipality, and the other 50 per cent directed equally to StayPEC and Visit the County.

Councillor Kate MacNaughton raised a point about the public consultation that is expected to take place, and how and when it is going to be undertaken. It was noted that it is to begin this spring.

Councillor Janice Maynard spoke to some of the financial challenges and asked when the recommendations come back, and how the funds are going to be spent.

“Up until now, they have come to us with a plan, but how do we make direction so that we can most efficiently use that money where it is most needed?” asked Maynard. The CAO said a fulsome report will be provided along with some ideas with a framework for council to work with, noting most of the funds will be going to the rural roads program.

Council also approved the recommendations of the audit committee’s March 25 meeting that include staff to provide an analysis and forecast of the County’s debt position. It will include a year-by-year maturity profile of the County’s debt, with both short-term liabilities expected to become long-term debt, as well as existing long-term debt.

Staff will also provide a report showing the municipality’s gross annual interest expense, and interest income for the last five years and a forecast for the next five years; also the municipality’s reserve position, along with a sensitivity analysis/stress test of the municipality’s interest costs. Those reports are expected to come before council in July.

Recreation update
An overview from the recreation and community facilities department was received by council for information where Lisa Lindsay, director of recreation and community facilities noted how this was the first quarterly report of its kind, and quite a comprehensive one.

She highlighted a few points including the number of work orders (86) that have been completed, the 1,614 hours of programmed ice use (including 376 hours of community ice use), and notably, how the department is up over $12,000 in revenue (from previous years) for the first quarter of the year.

They are now tracking how many people come through the doors at both the Wellington and Picton arenas, and in the first quarter of 2026, they had 44,000 visits in total.

Full details of the items discussed at the April 7 council meeting, including reports and presentations, can be found on the corresponding agenda on the County’s website, along the meeting recording.