> Grimsby Fire/GBF Hamper Program launched /Pg 3 > Miracle on King set for Dec. 15 Pg 9 > Fergie Jenkins, Habs coming to town Pgs 10&15 > Midwife program soldiers on Pg 18 Thursday, November 22, 2018 Vol. 7 Issue 29
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Downtown condo dies in tie vote
Blooming for the holidays
West Lincoln Memorial Auxiliary are all set - thanks to Sobkowich Greenhouses - for the annual Poinsettia Sale. The sale will be hosted in the lobby at WLMH next Wednesday, Nov. 28 and Thursday, Nov. 29 at 9 a.m. both days. Red, white and pink will be available with large, $18, small, $10. Three or more poinsettias can be delivered. Call 905-945-2253 for information. On hand for the kick off were (L to R) Gillian Leon, Marlene Marois, Kathy Smart (all of the auxiliary) and Ed Sobkowich. Williscraft - Photo
By Mike Williscraft NewsNow A proposed 92-unit condo development targeted for downtown Grimsby was sent back to the drawing board Monday night. A 4-4 tied vote at the council table, with Ald. Steve Berry not in attendance, on Official Plan and bylaw amendments means the contentious project will go back to Planning Committee for further tweaks. Despite only two members of the current council returning for the new incarnation, in its swan song See CONDO, Page 6
Hamilton officials join fight to preserve WLMH By Mike Williscraft NewsNow Concerns about transferred patient loads on neighbouring hospitals, Hamilton city councillors have added their voices calling on Hamilton Health Sciences to find an alternative option to their closure of West Lincoln Memorial Hospital’s operating rooms for 27 months. Oct. 22 HHS announced it plans to close the ORs, taking with it the prized obstetrics service, to bring that aspect of the aging facility up to current standards. This direction – announced by HHS president and CEO Rob MacIsaac – was developed from an
Oct. 5 consultant’s report. That report, however, did not suggest any long-term closure of any aspect of service, rather, noting the work could be done through a series of weekend closures and a handful of short-term closures all scheduled to minimize impacts on the level of care, patients and staff. While no timeline came with the announcement, January was initially believed to be a target but MacIsaac has repeatedly asserted no timeline has been set. The announcement brought immediate and heated reaction from throughout WLMH’s catchment area bringing well over 500 out
to a hastily called and overflowing public meeting, generated a community action group and a massive petition and letter writing campaign to get the attention of provincial government officials. The petitions took in 18,000 signatures in just a week’s time. As the lengthy series of concerns continue to echo - most recently with Dr. Tom Estall noting in the Nov. 15 edition of NewsNow that he believes none of the comments about concern for patient safety by HHS officials are justified - Hamilton official’s worries for more distant impacts have developed. In a joint letter to MacIsaac is-
sued on Monday, Councillors Maria Pearson and Brenda Johnson and Councillor-Elect Brad Clark sent their concerns right to the top. “As we understand it, an active operating room is a prerequisite for any hospital in Ontario providing Emergency Room services. Given the distance between Grimsby and any other acute care hospital (Hamilton or Niagara), we are concerned that even a temporary closure of the OR could add significant patient loads to Hamilton EMS and Hospitals, which are already struggling with Code Zeros,” wrote the trio in the co-signed See WLMH, Page 5