Opinion: MPP and Mayor seem contently unaware of the misery created by these needless Cassellholme delays

Editor's note: Mr. Gallant has written an open letter to Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota.

Dear Mr. Rota…A few truths need to be aired while the Mayor of North Bay, Al Mc Donald takes an additional thirty days to explore alternative financing to pay for our municipal portion of Cassellholme LTC.

The first truth is that there are 260 humans waiting at the doors of Cassellholme LTC (a 240-bed facility). The feigned sticker shock aside (122 M), if your charge enters a critical tender process, during a worldwide pandemic, with an outdated estimate in his back pocket, what the hell did they think would happen?

The other truth lost in municipal smoke and spin is the dragging out the reconstruction of Cassellholme LTC over a 5-6 year timeframe. These desperately needed improvements were planned to be constructed over a 3-year timeframe. Can you think of a large Capital Project that this City wishes to construct unassisted within this timeframe, an Ice Palace perhaps?

Pandemic aside, it has now taken six months of municipal foot-dragging just to “announce” the successful constructor. These delays have added an additional 2.6 M to the build.

Mr. Rota this is serious. This LTC facility needs to get built yesterday, albeit with only 24 additional LTC beds (16 First Nation and 8 Municipal).

Mr. Rota within the Federal Government I’m sure you have a number of talented mediators and negotiators. We need one here immediately, as this 30 year LTC saga is still chasing its tail. Our MPP Vic Fedeli and the Mayor seem contently unaware of the misery created by these needless delays. 

Can you explain why (as minions rush to complete a casino, south entrance infrastructure, and an ice palace) North Bay and three other participating municipalities support only 8 additional LTC beds? Where is the justification for this small number? Now, as ludicrous as this sounds, our Mayor is objecting to the cost of his own downsized municipal LTC plan (prior to 2017 there were 32 additional LTC beds planned). 

I understand our Federal Government is currently writing National Standards for Canadian LTC facilities. Will there be a rule of thumb for the number of LTC beds per thousand of population?

If our municipal government cannot get their collective heads together over this financial conundrum, there is a good chance Cassellholme will become a private “for profit” facility. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it should be that there is no capacity left in our health care system. It also exposed some horrific problems in LTC.

Mr. Rota, health care may be a provincial responsibility but we are still your constituents. This may have been entertaining to watch from your Speakers Chair in Ottawa but we certainly need your help now. Do you honestly think 8 additional municipal LTC beds will make any difference by 2027. Please be mindful that a majority of the 240 residents of Cassellholme LTC today, sleep two to a room separated by a curtain with no new HVAC during a pandemic.

Is this the caring community into which we want to welcome new Canadians?      

Sincerely,  

Ephrem Gallant                

North Bay