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Firmi comrnitmnent from C; e from COUNCILLORS on page Ai -But we need a starting Sstated at the lime. Oliver said hie understoî However, the hospital corporation is stili tration but hie doesn't wanl responsible for the remaining 10 per cent of figure that would inevitabl Ri construction costs along witb covering the -wrong years later after mc Sfull cost of building revenue-generaîing facil- ning bas taken place. Tbe Sities sucb as cafeterias, retail areas and park- a preliminary cost estimate Sing lots as well as the medical equipment ed ils business case for the ~inside the bospital. Ministry of Healtb in Sept uJ In total, depending on the equipment a Oliver said afler the coul z h ospital needs, that means the Province 'eill number is already out of d& -- cover around 70 per cent of the total project wisb t0 release il. costs, wath tbe bospital corporation paying "lis not just inflation, th. the remaining portion, dubbed the local scope bas evolved from the bhare.cae"leepandHes IThe hospital bas îhree ways to, pay that case, he expamd.e as:o lcal parig lot revenues lrom, for exam- wanîs 10 jeparizgexa cor ple, akn o fees or stores; fundraising proeby leing epcoe donc by the Milton District Hospital - 1-evr liver di r IF oundation; and tbrough financial assistance fom municipalities. The problem Milton council tried to, wrap uts bcad around Monday is that HHS won't Sprovide the municipality witb an estimate righî now of bow much money il would need. 'At the end of tbe day, if we put ton, mucb (money) away, thatIs fine," Scberer said to HHS President John Oliver during Monday's counicil session. Town would help hospital: Oliver )oint." od council's frus- i to float a dollar y turn ouI 10 be ire detailed plan- liospital provided when il present- expansion 10 the ember, 2008 but icil meeting that tle and bie doesn't e original size and original business id hie also, doesn't npetitive bidding d1 total costs. vide counicil with the redevelopment planned for Miltons bos- pital is at least as big as the one proposed for Burlington's joseph Brant Memorial Hospital. The first phase of the redevelopment of Jo Brant is projecîed 10 cost $312 million, with tbe local share pegged ai $120 million. In December, Burlingtons city counicil commit- ted 10 covering haîf of that cost, or $60 mil- lion, and bas already started a dedicaîed property tax levy this year. The City ol Vaughan last year commitîed $80 million 10 a proposed new bospital for its communiîy Both projects are also unapproved and are in competition with the Milton bospital expan- sion 10, gel on the Provincels next 10-year list of infrastructure projects, 10 be released next year, likely as part of the 2011 budget. However, the competition is n01 just among those tbree hospitals. The Ministry of Healîb is currently prioritizing aI least 50 other proposed hospital projects before sub- miîîing ils list of requests to the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, wbicb will ulti- maîely decide on the 10-year capital plan. Other ministries are also prioritizing their own lists of proposed capital projects, one of wbicb includes the proposed Wilfrid Laurier University campus in Milton. That prioritiza- lion is expected to, take place over the next îhree monîhs, said Jason Grier, a profession- aI lobbyist from Hill and Knowlton working on bebaîf of HHS. One of the things the Ministry of Healtb will be looking for during Ibis lime when pri- oritizing projects is wbeîber tbe bospital cor- poration bas a firm plan 10 meet its local sbare commitmnents, Grier said afîer council Monday. "Tbey don't wanî to, move forward on projects îbaî arent going 10 have tbaî local share commilment because îben tbe project isn't going 10 bappen," explained Grier, wbo served as executive assistant 10 George Smitberman when bie was bealtb minister in tbe provincial goveroiment. Oliver îold counicil il would help tbe bos- pitl if the Town made a firmn commitment of financial support. "I don7t know if you need 10 put a dollar figure behind il rigbt now. Tim Foran can l'e reached at foranCà>mi- ton canadianchwmpion. com. Noise barrier to be buit on Steeles A noise barrier will be built along Steeles Avenue to make life more bearable for home- owners whose Elîhott Cresccnt properties abut tbe busy roadway Halton regional council bas approved tbe construction of a wooden noise harrier run- ning along tbe back properîy lines of the homes hetween 596 and 636 Elliot Cres. The hamrer will cost $304,182 10, build, with the Region paying for 75 per cent of the cost and bomeowners picking up the remaining 25 per cent. Homeowners will be cbarged their share based on the length of the noise barrier along their property lines. Complaints from residents on Elliott and otber nearby strec'ts, including Wilbow Avenue and Wilson Street, were raised last fali during a public meeting 10 discuss a noise sîudy for the area along Steeles beîween Ontario Street and Tbompson Road. Under the Regions noise attenuation pol- icy, bomeowners seeking noise barriers must collect a petition with signatures from îwo- thirds of the affected property owners in the area, and submit it te, the Region. Out of four submissions, only one met the requirements. Protect your drinking water "' Learn more about yout local mater source, the City of Guelph's Drrnking Water Source Protection Program, and hum you cao mork mvirth i Ciry ru protect municipal water sources. Public information sessions Guelph residents: Wednesday, May 26, 6 to 9 p.m. Presenratiori srarrs ut 7 p.m. 'West End Communiry Centre Il Imperial Rd. 5 (at Paisley Rd.), Guelph Milton, Pusllnch and Township of Guelph Eramosa residents: Tuesday, June 1, 7 te 9 p.m. Presentation starts at 7 p.m. Rockmosa Community Centre 74 Christie St., gockwood Industrial, commercial, institutonal property owners/operators: Trhursday,J)une 3, 4 to9P.M. Presentation starts aI 7 p.m. West End Community Centre 21 Imnperial Rd. South <at Paisley Rd.), Gluelph About the Program As part of the Ontario Clean Water Act, rhe City or Guelph is developing a Drinking Water Source Protection Program ru identify vuinerable areas and redîrce risks tu municipal mater qualityThe City is committed ru identifying best practices and sharing renources with the community to keep Gueiphs water clean. For more information visit guelph.awate or cali 519-837-5627. V