‘Meaningful progress’ in talks on Douglas Memorial’s future: Lewis
September 26, 2025 at 3:37 AM
The postponement of a motion Ward 5 Councillor Tom Lewis said he had “no joy” in moving forward with back in June is a possible sign of progress made on the town’s ongoing battle to protect primary health care services locally.
In June, Lewis brought forward a notice of motion that he would be seeking council’s support to call for the resignation of Niagara Health CEO Lynn Guerriero and the agency’s board of directors. It came on the heels of an announcement by Niagara Health that Fort Erie’s urgent care centre was going to be closed on Fridays during the summer.
That motion, which was set to be debated and voted on at Monday’s meeting, has been delayed until January. Lewis was absent from Monday’s meeting, but Mayor Wayne Redekop explained the rationale behind the postponement.
“There has been progress made in discussions relative to the Douglas Memorial site and both with Niagara Health and the Ministry of Health, and he (Lewis) wants an opportunity for that to develop further,” Redekop said.
The motion has now been postponed until January 26, 2026.
“Since introducing the notice of motion, we’ve seen meaningful progress. We met directly with Niagara Health to present our concerns and proposals, and I believe those discussions have been constructive,” said Lewis in a follow-up email to Fort Erie Radio, noting August’s meeting with Minister of Health Sylvia Jones.
“The minister emphasized that more time was needed for consideration and acknowledged that the Douglas Memorial site is an important community asset. This acknowledgment represents a significant step forward and reflects a level of dialogue that was not happening previously,” Lewis said.
“The original intent of my motion has always been to ensure meaningful discussion on a matter of vital importance to Fort Erie and South Niagara, while also holding Niagara Health to the commitments made when our community contributed toward the Niagara South hospital build.”
Fort Erie officials have been pitching a plan to keep Douglas Memorial hospital open beyond its scheduled closure after the new South Niagara Hospital is built. It includes using the Fort Erie site as a place for “alternate level of care” beds for patients who don’t require acute care but who aren’t quite ready to go home.
Between offering those alternate level of care beds and maintaining an urgent care centre presence in town, local officials believe it can ease the pressure on Niagara’s health care system, reducing wait times and opening up spaces for those who truly need it.
Such a site could be run with or without involvement from Niagara Health.
Earlier this week Redekop told the St. Catharines Standard that a report is expected to come before council next month requesting a consultant be hired to finalize the plan and identify human resource and cost requirements.
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About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
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