Health, long-term care and County Road 49 among discussions for County delegation in Ottawa

The County of Prince Edward delegation met with the Hon. Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference on August 19. Pictured from left to right, Councillor Janice Maynard, Mayor Steve Ferguson, Minister Jones, Councillor Sam Grosso, and Interim CAO Adam Goheen. – Photo contributed

The future of the public health funding, long-term care and County Road 49 were areas of focus of a County delegation in Ottawa this week attending the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) annual general meeting and conference.

Mayor Steve Ferguson, accompanied by councillors Janice Maynard and Sam Grosso as well as interim CAO Adam Goheen, met with health minister Sylvia Jones to outline the budget shortfall faced by the local South East Health Unit (SEHU). Ferguson states that in response, the minister did commit that health units including SEHU would be involved in the policy review of public health funding framework.

“Our previous advocacy work on issues such as a new hospital and long-term care home have led to tangible results, which gives me hope the provincial government will take into consideration our concerns in this area as well,” said Ferguson.

A meeting with Brian Saunderson, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to advocate for enhanced affordable housing funding support did not take place due to a scheduling conflict. The municipality intends to share information with ministry staff in the near future.

While in Ottawa, Ferguson met with staff from Transport Canada and Chris Malette, MP for the Bay of Quinte, to discuss the rehabilitation of County Road 49. In January, the municipality secured nearly $20 million toward the rehabilitation project last estimated to cost $52.3 million. The municipality is seeking funds from the federal government for the unfunded portion of the project.

“I reiterated how essential a rehabilitated County Road 49 is for the continued economic growth, safety, and well-being of our community,” said Ferguson. “The message was well received by everyone in the room, and I was assured that they are working diligently to find a solution that will allow this project to move ahead.”

Ferguson also joined with other mayors and wardens from across Eastern Ontario for meetings with several Ontario government ministers.

The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC), of which Ferguson is vice-chair, met with several government officials and key stakeholders to advocate for unique needs of Eastern Ontario’s small urban and rural communities – including economic resilience, housing, health care, and long-term care.

AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario’s 444 municipal governments. AMO supports strong and effective municipal government in Ontario and promotes the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada’s political system.