Fort Erie defers motion calling for Niagara Health resignations

A motion seeking the resignation of the Niagara Health board of directors and chief executive officer Lynn Guerriero, and for the province to appoint a provincial supervisor to oversee its operations, came before council Monday night.

“The true intent behind this motion is not picking a fight with Niagara Health or the province,” said Ward 5 Councillor Tom Lewis, who put forth the motion.

“It’s about the attention of decision makers and creating conditions necessary for us to work together on solutions that protect local health care here in Fort Erie.”

The motion has been deferred until the next regular council meeting as the town waits for word on a requested meeting with Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones to discuss the municipality’s ongoing struggles with health care.

The motion, which had already been deferred from an April meeting, outlines how the town feels Niagara Health has broken promises.

It highlights Niagara Health’s original plan to continue operations of the urgent care centre at its Douglas Memorial building after the new south Niagara Falls hospital opens and how that has since been rescinded.

Councillors stressed what appears to them to be an unwillingness on Niagara Health’s part to work together on this matter.

“Fort Erie has repeatedly come to the table to advocate for solutions, and we have not had a willing partner,” said Lewis.

Last week, councillors attended the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference at Queen’s Park, where they had discussions with ministers and other municipalities.

“There was actual shock amongst some of the ministers about the situation at Douglas Memorial,” Ward 2 Councillor Nick Dubanow told council.

He went on to say he doesn’t understand why the hospital system doesn’t see the positives in keeping services at the former hospital building in Fort Erie.

He said he sees it as “a real kick in the teeth” to be told to contribute millions of dollars to the new Niagara Falls hospital while Fort Erie continues to lose health-care services.

“It feels like they’re slowly peeling everything away until there’s nothing there,” he said. “I think Niagara Health needs to get the message that this council and this community is very serious about the future of Douglas Memorial Hospital (sic) and services provided there.”

Despite the collective, heated agreement among councillors that enough is enough, Ward 4’s Joan Christensen proposed to again defer voting on Lewis’s motion.

While at the AMO conference, the town requested a meeting with Jones to attempt to initiate a conversation between the ministry, Fort Erie and Niagara Health.

Mayor Wayne Redekop said during Monday’s meeting the town had not yet heard back from the ministry about scheduling a meeting.

It was on that basis that Christensen wanted to defer the motion–to give Jones and her staff time to respond.

Lewis said when speaking with others at the conference he found municipalities with successful health-care infrastructure achieved it through collaborative means, so he agreed to a small deferral period.

“I want to be perfectly clear, nothing would make me happier than to see this motion completely go away and to know that we have a partner in Niagara Health that is working for the best interest of our community,” he said.

Council deferred Lewis’s motion to the September 28 regular council meeting.

“And then we drop the hammer,” Christensen said.

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