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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday May 3, 2008 - 3 Banks ready to race beds The chance to throw a pie in the face of a downtown bank branch manger was just the start of the fun as Oakville banks gear up for Sunday's Bank Bed Challenge. The pie tossing was part of the fundraising for the monthlong bank bed challenge that will culminate with the race downtown Oakville Sunday morning. It will see teams from all six local participating banks -- Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust, RBC, HSBC, BMO and CIBC -- racing hospital beds along Lakeshore Road. The challenge is to raise funds for Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH). "This event is a fun way to make a positive difference in our community. I grew up in Oakville and have seen firsthand the positive impact that OakvilleTrafalgar Memorial Hospital has on the community," says Scott Brown, AVP & Branch Manger, HSBC Bank Canada. "We at HSBC remain committed to giving back to the communities in which we live and work and see the Bank Bed Challenge as a fun, effective way to give back to OTMH and Oakville residents." Enjoy refreshments and entertainment while showing your support for OTMH and cheering your bank to victory during this year's Bed Race on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Races begin at Lakeshore Road East and Thomas Street. An awards ceremony and cheque presentation will follow in Towne Square. This year's race day emcee is Sportnet's Jason Portuondo. Kevin Flynn, MPP Oakville, will kick-off the day's celebrations by being pushed to the finish line on a hospital bed by one representative from each bank. For information visit www.bankbedchallenge.com or your local bank branch to make a donation. RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER WORTH A CHUCKLE: At left, Devon Andrighetti delivers a pie to the face of Michelle Penman, branch manager at the RBC, while above, Wesley Tyrer, a teller at CIBC, prepares to take one for the cause and below, Dave Betlca, a private banker for RBC, has a good laugh as watches a co-worker take a pie in the face. Local share of new hospital could go on tax bill By Kim Arnott SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Homeowners may see a special levy placed on their tax bill to help pay for Oakville's new hospital. That's likely the only option for raising the millions of dollars local taxpayers need to contribute to the cost of the new facility, short of a change in provincial policy. Financing rules for new hospitals call for the community to contribute about 30 per cent of the cost. While the provincial Ministry of Health will pay for 90 per cent of the construction of healthcarerelated areas, local taxpayers are on the hook for non-healthcare areas like cafeterias and parking lots, along with the entire cost of equipping the facility. Halton Region chair Gary Carr recently estimated the local cost at $60 to $100 million, and suggested a special tax levy might be placed on all regional taxpayers. John Oliver, CEO of Halton Healthcare Services, is reluctant to discuss the cost of the proposed facility, noting that a competitive bidding process will establish the ultimate price. As well, he said the final size of the hospital has yet to be decided. However, it's clear that the local contribution, which will be raised through a fundraising campaign, on-site revenue generation at parking lots and cafeterias, and from taxpayers, will be sizable. Local politicians are still arguing that part of the local cost should be paid for through development charges, which are levied as part of new construction to pay for required community facilities. However, more than a decade ago, the province changed the rules to disallow municipalities from collecting development charges to finance hospitals. That's a decision about which Oakville councillors have been complain- "There's no payment required until 2013, so this is really an early heads-up on what is coming." John Oliver CEO of Halton Healthcare Services ing. "Clearly, this is a growth-related service," said Ward 3 Councillor Keith Bird, at a meeting Tuesday night where Town councillors received an update on the new hospital. The new Oakville hospital, which will be built on a 50-acre site on the northwest corner of Third Line and Dundas Street, is expected to open in 2013. With at least one million square feet of space, it is expected to be more than twice as big as the current Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH). While the existing hospital currently has 325 beds, the new facili- ty will have somewhere between 489 and 602, depending on whether it is built to service Oakville's expected population in 2013 or its expected population in 2018. "Really, this is a site for Oakville into the long future," Oliver told Town councillors. The facility will also bring a new cancer treatment and chemotherapy area to Oakville and will be built with 80 per cent of its beds in private rooms, he added. The main buildings will range from two- to four-storeys in height, with one nine-storey tower of patient rooms. The site has room for future expansion, as needed. Intended to be built to Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, the new facility will feature rooftop gardens and walking trails through the grounds. "We're paying very high attention to the eco impact on the site," said Oliver, who added that plans call for transit to run through the site. Construction is expected to start in 2010, and the hospital will be built under the provincial government's Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) model, which will see a private consortium take responsibility for constructing the hospital. Payments toward the cost of the building will be made over a 30 year period, beginning upon completion. That means the Town has some time to contemplate how it will come up with its share of the money. "There's no payment required until 2013, so this is really an early heads-up on what is coming," said Oliver. Town councillors approved a motion calling on the province to reinstate development charges for hospital funding, but also directing town staff to research placing a special tax levy on the property tax bill. PREPARE FOR THE ROAD AHEAD. Next course: May 31, June 1, 7, 8 June 23, 24, 25, 26 905.845.7200 2 Weekends 9:30 am to 4:15 pm Mon., Tues., Wed., Thur. 9:30 am to 4:15 pm MTO APPROVED BEGINNER DRIVER EDUCATION COURSE PROVIDER