Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Greater Napanee council will consider waiving the development charges and impost fees for County and Lennox and Addington General Hospital’s incoming nursing home.
Council voted to direct staff to put together a report on the matter and bring it forward to a future meeting following a deputation from LACGH CEO Wayne Coveyduck and LACGH board member Robert Paul.
“We don’t have the tax payer as a back up for offsetting operating costs….the $360,000 for development fees and impost fees, it would be a big help to us and not only a big help to us but, it would signal the municipality’s support for the long term care facility and also I think this is an opportunity for us to talk about what the hospital is doing in our community, we’re certainly very proud of where we are and where we’re going because this is the final piece in our healthcare hub,” said Paul.
Councillor Mike Schenk said he’s open to the idea of supporting the hospital, but wanted to see a report from town staff first. Mayor Terry Richardson agreed.
“I know there’s already been some preliminary conversation with town staff with respect to this so I would, and probably council would, encourage those conversations to continue to see what we can do,” said Richardson. “A community is made up of a bunch of different parts and a big part of that is our healthcare and our hospital and I’ve heard nothing but good things from current residents, past residents, new people, old people that have come here, I’ve not heard a bad word about our healthcare system or our hospital and I think we can only continue to move forward from that.”
Construction for the 128-bed nursing home, which is on the grounds of LACGH, officially got underway this week and is slated to welcome its first residents in spring of 2025.
-Council voted to throw its support behind Women of Ontario Say No, who are looking to revive Bill 5-The Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act.
“As the act currently stands, only a judge can remove a sitting councillor and only if there’s a violation of the municipal Conflict of Interest Act, not if there’s a violation of another piece of the conduct,” explained town clerk Jessica Walters. “This is proposing that if the workplace harassment is contravened, that a judge would also be able to remove a councillor under those circumstances.”
Councillor Dave Pinnell Jr. asked for clarification on the request, noting he felt it was odd only 156 other municipalities across the province-about 36 per cent-had voiced their support.
“Given the number of these types of resolutions we see circulating around, 156 is actually quite high for the number of municipalities that would sign on to something like this,” added Walters.
Pinnell Jr. put forward the successful motion that council support their request.
-Council voted to proclaim Sept. 28 to be National British Home Child Day within the Town of Greater Napanee.
First recognized by the Canadian government in 2017, British Home Child Day is held in honour of the over 100,000 children who were sent to Canada from 1869 to 1948 with the majority of them becoming indentured labourers and domestics.
“This is actually very near and dear to me,” said councillor Bill Martin. “My own father came over here on a ship when he was 14 years old and put to work on farms over here. It was actually the Canadian government received money from the British government for each child because…it was farming communities that needed the labour here. There was some pretty sad stories that went on about this.”
Martin said this region of Ontario received a far amount of children.
“It was almost akin to slavery to be honest with you,” said Martin. “That was the stories I got from (his father).”
-Council will next meet July 11.