Vol. 9, Issue 19
FREE OF CHARGE
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Backstroke
Crowded
Hot off the press
Local Emergency
Sarnia reverses large fee hike at Tecumseh Pool
Department under strain
following public outcry
as more seek medical help
TARA JEFFREY THE JOURNAL
CATHY DOBSON THE JOURNAL
C
ity Hall has backtracked on a fee increase that prompted a public outcry and concerns about affordability at Sarnia’s only outdoor public swimming pool. The cost of admission to Tecumseh Pool had jumped to $5 this year, after being $2 prior to the pandemic, and free the past two years. The $5 applied to anyone entering the facility — whether swimming or not. The 150% increase drew criticism on social media and at City Hall, where complaints started piling up last week. The pool, supported by the late philanthropist Norma Cox as part of the Norma Cox Youth Centre, is a summer haven for low-income families. The move followed a new operating agreement signed recently with the YMCA. The new fee structure was not publicly announced and upset many as word spread. “There’s definitely a lot of people that are disappointed,” said Crystal Bisson Wrightson, who added the pool has been a lifesaver for her three children. All three suffer chronic pain stemming from a connective tissue disorder that rules out most sports, except swimming. “I used to pile them in the van and go for a family swim for $8. Now I can't even get two in for that price,” she said. “There is not a lot in Sarnia for youth to do, especially youth without the financial means to go to movies, shopping, participate in day camps, go bowling, etc.” On Friday, city officials changed course and said all fees related to swimming and programming at the pool would return to 2019 levels, effective immediately. Continued on 3
A
"LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES" have exploded in popularity across Sarnia-Lambton over the past two years, with more than 45 up and running and 13 more expected to launch this summer. This new one at 253 Bright St. was decorated by children from the neighbourhood. From left are: Steward Lauren Davidson, Anne-Belle Dunn, 8, Ava Smith, 9, Xavier Serratore, 7, Ally Osborne Smith, 9, and Arthur Davidson, 7. For more on the phenomena, please see page 4. CATHY DOBSON The Journal
BOXING WEEK
n unusually high numbers of people seeking medical care at Sarnia’s emergency department is putting pressure on staff and increasing wait times, says Paula Reaume-Zimmer, VP of Integrated Services at Bluewater Health. “We’ve never seen this kind of volume,” she said. “We are holding our own but it’s a challenge.” The last four months have seen a steady increase in ER visitors, rising from 140 to 150 patients a day to 172 to 200 daily. “That’s a pretty big jump,” said Reaume-Zimmer. "Our Emerg staff are really feeling the weight of the demand and just getting over a very tiring two years of Covid." She added that, according to the most recent number, nine out of 10 ER visitors are admitted to hospital in less than 18 hours. Ontario Health tracks wait times for all provincial hospitals. The most recent data from May showed it took an average of 1.6 hours to have an initial physician assessment at Bluewater Health’s ER. Local patients who were not admitted were there 2.8 hours to 3.3 hours, depending on severity of illness. Those admitted waited an average of 9.3 hours from registration to getting a bed, according to Ontario Health. Reaume-Zimmer disputes Ontario Health’s numbers. She said on average the time to admit an ER patient is 3.9 hours. But she didn’t argue that these are difficult times for frontline emergency staff dealing with higher than usual volumes. Patients are arriving at Emergency with more complex conditions, likely because they delayed medical care during the pandemic, she said. Continued on 3 34 Years
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