Flip-flop from 2007, when donation request was denied
Feb 09, 2010 - 03:39 PM
By Jennifer Stone
BOWMANVILLE -- The Municipality of Clarington may support Lakeridge Health Bowmanville's planned expansion after all.
Just after the 2006 election, Clarington council was asked for a $2 million donation to the hospital foundation's $10-million campaign to expand Bowmanville's ER, increase same-day surgery capacity and mammography-related services and create an intensive care unit. But, despite a survey undertaken by the Municipality indicating 74 per cent of citizens were OK with donating to the hospital, council voted the request down. At the time, Mayor Jim Abernethy argued it was a matter of who pays for what.
"The pivotal point in this discussion hinges on the fact it is primarily a provincial responsibility to adequately fund our hospitals," the then-newly elected mayor said in 2007.
Now, the mayor has given council notice he will be asking them to consider a $500,000 municipal donation to the hospital.
It remains a provincial responsibility, Mayor Abernethy said in his notice of motion.
Council "denied the request as health care was and still is considered a provincial responsibility, the cost of which should not be added to property taxes," the notice, which under council rules could not be discussed further until the Mayor decides to proceed with it, read. But, such a pledge would "be a much-needed boost to the fundraising efforts of the Bowmanville Memorial foundation."
Not everyone agreed with the original decision not to donate to the campaign, even if not to the level requested by the foundation.
"If not $2 million, something," Councillor Adrian Foster said at the time.
The $500,000 would come from the $10-million reserve fund Clarington received from the federal government for participating in the Port Granby low level radioactive waste clean-up project. The donation would only go forward when the federal government issues the license to construct the radioactive waste management facility at Port Granby.
At the time of the initial request, "I wasn't aware we had a $10-million fund in trust," the mayor said.
Using the Port Granby funds would ensure the donation didn't come from the tax levy.
The Port Granby money was "granted by the federal government and should be used in some way to benefit all the people in the community," the mayor said.
He said he intends to seek council's approval of the donation March 1.
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