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No firm plan to house Syrian refugees in old OTMH by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 5 | Friday, November 20, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com A spokesperson from the office of Ontario's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care emphasized Wednesday there is no concrete plan to temporarily house Syrian refugees in the Reynolds Street Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH), once it has been vacated. In a conversation with reporters Wednesday, Minister Eric Hoskins was asked about Ontario's capacity to accept refugees, to which he responded that the ministry was looking at recently-decommissioned hospitals as a possible option. Hoskins mentioned he had been in Oakville the previous evening for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Oakville hospital, which opens to patients on Dec. 13. That opening date will also see the closing of the existing OTMH at 327 Reynolds St. A spokesperson from Hoskins' office said the minister was only listing examples of some of the capacity that exists in Ontario to house refugees. "At the moment, we are waiting for more information from the federal government, in terms of the number of refugees we are going to receive, where they will be coming in Ontario and when we will be receiving them," he said. "So it is just a bit premature to speculate on specific hospitals, how it would all work... It's not a plan we are moving forward with. It was just an example of capacity and an option that was floated," stated the ministry spokesperson. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton released the following statement in response to inquiries: "The legacy OTMH will not be decommissioned until March 31, 2016. The Town of Oakville owns the site and leases it to Halton Healthcare. Decisions about its use require Council approval," stated Burton. "The Town's current plan, once in possession, is to conduct environmental, heritage and site assessments before substantive demolition takes place," stated Oakville's mayor. If the Province decides it does want to make use of OTMH, it had best make its intentions known quickly. Ontario Minister of Health and Long-term Care Eric Hoskins speaks during the `official' ribbon cutting at the new Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Tuesday night. The new site will open to patients on Dec. 13 -- the same day the Reynolds Street OTMH will close. | photo by Riziero Vertolli ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) The Town has included the hospital's demolition in the 2016 budget. A Town Hall meeting to discuss the future of the OTMH lands will take place at Oakville's Town Hall on Nov. 25. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. While nothing is set in stone, the Town has voiced a desire to build a community centre on the site. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has pledged to settle 10,000 Syrian refugees in Ontario by the end of 2016. During her speech at the new Oakville hospital Tuesday night, Wynne spoke about the refugee crisis. "In this Province, in this country, we are in a discussion about bringing people to this country. We are standing in a hospital where I dare say some of the refugees who will land on these shores will be treated," said Wynne. "Part of who we are as Canadians is we are open to that challenge. All of us, except for our indigenous people, came from somewhere else. Some of us came here as refugees, people who were hungry, people who were poor...We all came from somewhere else. The fact is we are open to welcoming new people. The fact (that) we have built a society that will allow those people who come, to take part and have access to a facility like this, is something we should be very proud of." A STEP BEYOND IN CARE Salima Kassam Reg. Chiropodist · Foot/Arch Pain? · Ingrown Toenails? · Diabetes? · Swollen Ankles? · Corns, Calluses? Do you have: Lunch, Learn & Enjoy For our clients, their guests, and prospective clients Call for an appointment 905-632-1414 728 Burloak Drive www.footandhealthclinic.com Mon, Dec 21 @ 2pm Tues, Dec 22 @ 2pm & 7pm Wed, Dec 23 @ 2pm &7pm Sun, Dec 27 @ 2pm & 7pm Tickets $25 How We Die: Physician Assisted Death Find out how the law has changed, what the future holds, and about dying with dignity. Justin de Vries Principal at de Vries Litigation LLP Presented by Tuesday, December 1, 2015 12pm - 1pm Holiday Inn, 590 Argus Road, Oakville (Southwest of Trafalgar Road and the QEW) Children receive a free gifT with their ticket Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts Box Office: 905-815-2021 or www.oakvillecentre.ca Produced by Beth Poad & Hilary Speed Directed by Chantal forde www.oakvillepantomime.com RSVP (905) 842-2100 Ext. 2 info@peterwatsoninvestments.com