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2 Friday, June 18, 2021 brooklintowncrier.com "Proud to be a Brooklinite" Founded in 2000 and published 24 times per year. Editor, Richard Bercuson 613-769-8629 editorofbtc@gmail.com The Brooklin Town Crier is locally owned and operated and is a publication of Appletree Graphic Design Inc. We accept advertising in good faith but do not endorse advertisers nor advertisements. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. For advertising information, Email: mulcahy42@rogers.com Next Issue: Friday, July 16, 2021 Deadline: Friday, July 9, 2021 Publications dates subject to change during COVID-19 Pandemic Hospital Coming To Whitby? Whitby staff has submitted a report (CAO 14-21) from the town's Hospital Task Force in which lands on the southeast corner of Lakeridge Road and highway 7 be considered for a new Durham Region hospital site. This would replace the originally intended site on the southeast side of Baldwin and the 407. The report is being sent to the Minister of Health, the Minister of Transportation, Minister of Long-Term Care, all Durham Region MPPs, the Regional Chair, the Lakeridge Health Board Chair and the President and CEO of Lakeridge Health. Report highlights: Lakeridge Health has announced the preliminary steps to begin the independent process to identify a potential site for a new hospital in Durham Region. The Hospital Task Force has been successful in receiving permission from MTO to proceed with the property at the southeast quadrant of Highway 407 and Lake Ridge Road as Whitby's preferred site. This positions Whitby well to respond to the site selection process that Lakeridge Health will be initiating in the coming months. Through discussions with MTO, the Hospital Task Force has become aware of excess fill levels and areas on the subject property that exhibit levels of contamination that will require removal to an off-site facility, prior to development of portions of the subject lands. The costs associated with remediation of the site are not prohibitive. Strategic Priorities: The initiatives of the Hospital Task Force align with Council's Goals as a new Hospital would deliver local jobs and prosperity, continue to improve the service delivery to residents, remain the community of choice for families and become the community of choice for seniors and job creators. The actions of the Task Force also align with the Corporate Strategic Plan as ultimately establishing a new hospital in Whitby would address Strategic Objective 3.1 by designing service delivery around current customer needs in an underserviced area, as well as address the future needs of a community that is in a rapid growth phase. This report also addresses sustainability, as the Task Force is supportive of pursuing the possibility of the Durham Central Lakeridge Health site being serviced through District Energy to increase the resiliency and reliability of services to the health precinct and consider green energy sources to reduce the environmental impact of a new hospital. Finally, the recommendations within this report support a more accessible community through the provision of increased health care services to all residents and especially seniors and those with disabilities. The full six-page report is available from the June 7 special council meeting agenda. Alternately, type CAO 14-21 into the search function on whitby.ca and look under documents.