CFN – When you sit behind this desk and sift through documents it’s 
sometimes challenging to decide what information to print.
Of course there are legal and liability questions at all times, but there are also moral and personal factors.
When CFN first received this document I personally could not believe what I was reading.
Legal Issues prevent me from printing all of it or revealing its author who was not consulted. This letter was delivered by a complete other party that was indirectly involved.
What is most frightening about the contents of this letter is that the mayor’s own mother resides at Glen Stor Dun Lodge! Think about that….
This is the letter that has led to the scandals eventually becoming public about the Kilger council. If Mayor Kilger, Council, and City management had respected their Declarations of office and acted professionally over $3 million dollars in legal bills, settlements and costs, would not have to have been spent. More importantly lives would not have been hurt and possibly even lost all because of the arrogance and ignorance of a very corrupt mayor who as he’s been quoted before is where “THE BUCK STOPS.”
Several years ago a letter was delivered to city council. 11 sealed letters actually, one for each councilor and the mayor. They never made it to council.
A second round was sent, and only after a councilor allegedly asked during an in camera session of council why they had not received the letter did the mayor allegedly apologize to council and did council receive the letter of which excerpts are below.
And thus began a witch hunt that still continues today. Many staff have since left GSDL, chiefly the Manager 
Mrs. Donna Derouchie who it has been suggested was given her position at the lodge due to her relationship with former Cornwall CAO Paul Fitzpatrick.
Instead of investigating the contents of this letter which would have been a responsible initiative to protect not only the residents of Glen Stor Dun Lodge it also would be an attempt to protect staff and in the end the city as it’s very very hard to replace good staff.
One of the things Cornwall is amazing at is having people not want to leave. There have been many nurses and healthcare staff that don’t run off to higher paying pastures and spend full careers here unless they are under extreme stress or abuse.
Frankly is there any position like being a nurse that you couldn’t get a new job lickity split?
CFN would like to add that complaints under the current director of GSDL have rapidly diminished although there was yet another issue over an antiquated electric control panel that was only agreed to be changed after Councilor Rivette went public with the story of the Mayor and council voting against changing. Our story on that led to the Mayor ditching the meeting where council voted to overturn the earlier negative decision.
We have transcribed the letter as there are markings on it that could identify the source(s) These are only a few excerpts from the document that runs many pages long.
This letter is to address the chronic concerns disclosed by residents, families, and staff regarding Donna Derouchie and the city’s dereliction…
Morale at the lodge is toxic. She insists that it starts from everyone who is beneath her….
Mrs. Derouchie ignores staff when she sees them in the hallway, she won’t greet them with a hello, she won’t even smile….
She is heard yelling at the managers from her office. She constricts their roles and in turn yells at them for not doing their job.
Sticking to a strict budget means the resident’s food isn’t optimal. Fruit juices made from powder which tastes and looks funny…..
Many things are compromised at the resident’s expense, including linen. A chronic problem for years.
Staff are directed to change a brief when it is 80% wet. 80% wet can mean that someone is sitting in 50% of urine all day. Staff have been directed to reuse a clean brief after their baths.
Another demoralizing tactic is the progressive discipline plan related to sick time. Staff are called in if they absent more than 4 days in a year.
XXXX XXXXXX was more worried about coming to work than dying. XXX died two weeks after XXX last shift. Mrs. Derouchie wouldn’t even lower the flag. It took a third party to initiate lowering the flag.
To hear her say that staff are “whiners”, “idiots”, and “ninnies” etc is unacceptable.
Did you know that residents are doing without medications during the weekend?
To avoid any conflicts of interest,one would hope that someone who is independent and impartial would investigate. A thorough investigation including interviewing ex-staff members(long term employees who left because they had had enough) staff, residents, and families….
I remain anonymous as the system has already failed the residents but will continue to advocate for human decency and respect.
While some of the issues at Glen Stor Dun Lodge have been dealt with the culture of management of the City of Cornwall is under the spotlight now.
Should any city worker have to endure what anyone that has simply done their proper jobs by bringing issues to their management; have to endure what some of the victims of this regime have?
It also sheds some light to political ramifications at the provincial level in the Cornwall General Hospital sale that as the mayor has stated, he is “not married to.”
Should the city of Cornwall and Mayor Kilger be allowed to bleed taxpayers simply to cover up scandal after scandal?
What this letter shows if true is that if Mayor Kilger and his good friend Mr. Fitzpatrick had taken their responsibilities seriously and acted responsible very little of the damage and splash would have occurred
And if city management and council had held Messrs Kilger and Fitzpatrick accountable would we be where we are today?
While Mayor Kilger and/or Mr. Fitzpatrick may have withheld the original letters we know at one point all ten councilors of that day, Denis Carr, Denis Thibault, Elaine MacDonald, Bernadette Clement, Syd Gardiner, David Murphy, Maurice Dupelle, Leslie O’Shaughnessy, and Andre Rivette received it, and while this is not an indictment of all or any of them individually surely the endless decisions made behind closed doors have had dramatic ramifications.
The Rob Hickley’s and Diane Shay’s have been victimized once. Should they and other staff be further victimized by not being supported by the City of Cornwall when they step forward? At the court hearing Friday the room was full. Is it time for people to start contacting their council and mayor and asking for answers?
Is it time for them to show up at council Monday May 27th at 7 PM?
Premier Wynne Rob Ford VIDEO LINK
Is it time for the Provincial Government to investigate Mayor Kilger and his Council? If Premier Wynne can comment about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford simply allegedly hitting some crack surely this would take priority or do only Conservative Mayors deserve such scrutiny?
BKilger@cornwall.ca
councillors@cornwall.ca
It’s your call Cornwall. Are you happy with the status quo? You can post your comments below.
(Comments and opinions of Editorials, Letters to the Editor, and comments from readers are purely their own and don’t necessarily reflect those of the owners of this site, their staff, or sponsors.)
There is elder abuse in most residences whether you believe it or not…… I know for a fact that two agencies Revera Home Health and Bayshore have workers that go into these homes and help care for patients before they got to bed and when they get up in the morning.. the caregiver has 8 -12 patients to get cleaned etc. in two hours… Is this human I think not..
I know that some family members have video cameras put up for a while to see how their loved one is being cared for..
I have over 20 years working in Senior’s residences etc… I know all about the changing of the diapers but the 80% wet is really long over due..
There are not enough inspectors to go to these residences and do regular check ups… It is a very sad situation and one I am not looking forward and I grow older
for your info next Sat on W5 June 1 at 7 pm the program is on elder abuse in senior’s residences…
Some years ago at an institution here in Cornwall, I volunteered with feeding of chronic care patients — aging men and women with dementia, cognitive disfunction, and full blown alzheimer’s disease.
It was a pathetic situation of understaffing and crowding. Where patients (too many to care for) were often parked in front of televisions, slouched and staring at re-runs of CHIP’s.
At feeding time it was a crazy rush with barely enough hands to feed everyone on anything near a schedule.
The institution where I volunteered did the best with what they had… but having the best would have been better.
There is no shortage of money and energy available to solve this problem… Why is it being wasted on politics, lawyers, greed and power plays?
The Mayor and City Council of Cornwall, the Cornwall Community Hospital Board, every partner in elder care, and every member of every family in this community needs to quit talking, or arguing, making excuses or waiting for someone else to sort things out.
There are solutions… and one in particular is the renewal and repurposing of the Cornwall General Hospital site.
Please, please, set aside the differences and create a facility that is needed, deserved and sets a new standard of care and dignity for people sharing their last moments in time with us.
Love that neighbour as you love yourselves and your own.
Everyone should be getting involved in protecting our aging parents,friends & strangers for that matter who can no longer care for themselves. Sad that a son could allow this unspeakable acts of cruelty to seniors & harassment of staff when he has the power to stop it & protect his own mother who has been a resident there.Come on everyone in S D & G come out to city council meeting this coming Monday @ 7pm.Instead of saying “Why should I help them” ask yourself “Why not me”
Over 3 million dollars of taxpayers money virtually stolen from our pockets for expenses that should by rights never have been incurred. The direction of mail tampered with, however no charges laid. Arrogance, entitlement, lack of accountability, lack of transparency, lack of justification, lack of morals, lack of ethics and then above all else…….SILENCE. Lack of communication.
This dysfunctional group needs to be replaced sooner not later.
Show that you care about your community, your children, your parents, the present and the future and make your presence known this coming Monday @ 7pm.
See you there MARIAH !
Mr. Jim Marshall you are thinking on the same wave length as myself. The former General Hospital is desparately in need for the elderly people and with all the scandals going on in Cornwall aka Fossoli that hospital would be of much better use than all of Bare Ass’s legal fees, rip offs and everything else that I can say. It is a terrible shame to neglect people like that and Bare Ass has no brains at all. Folks out there go to City Hall and throw the bums out literally and show that you don’t want any of them since they are all a bunch of “useless eaters” who do not want your good but only for themselves. Something has to be done right now and don’t give them or anyone any warning – just go.
Jim well said.. I worked in seniors residences in the 80’s and 90’s… over 20 years..the only thing that has really changed is cloth pads for urine/feces instead of paper diapers..
No meds on weekends.. Why not? Legal??
Is the Lodge fully owned by the city or subsidized by the Provincial Gov’t as well. Are the Employees unionized?
Maybe someone could help me her with some of these answers as I am new to the area.
If this is all true, surely there are countless employees of the lodge that would be happy to testify against a former boss.
@ gimme-a-break; Not everyone is as brave as Rob Hickley or Diane Shay . If you look at the way people in Cornwall who whistleblow are treated you don’t have to wonder why the others don’t want to speak up. If you complain or even speak the truth you will be punished.
I remember when we lived in Cornwall we walked in this park just on the outskirts of town. We met up with a man that I cannot say where he worked because this would help give him away. We spoke about Perry Dunlop and my husband and I were heartbroken about what happened to this man. Till today we sometimes talk about him and especially with the whistleblowers coming forward with the truth. When I blog on any topic Perry and his family come to mind. I told my husband that I could never ever live there again and we both agreed. The living hell that the man went through – nobody in their right mind would ever want to experience.
There is elder abuse going on in most senior care homes..I am a Personal Support Worker and see what goes on inside these places..It’s cruel and sad. People expect us to give proper care to every individual but how can we do so when all you care about is rushing us and saving more money. Yet, my job is at risk for giving the people the proper care they deserve???? When I was in college and doing my placement I was kicked out of one of my placements after I showed cocerned for the residents and how the dementia patients were being bathed..They were treated like animals! If you are a psw dont even bother asking a nurse for help..most times we have our heads chewed off and are told it’s not their job!
@Bcornwall… yes several PSWs have told me the same thing… and yet only 11 replies to this subject and nothing gets done and what can one person do in this case.. Most home I think have soem government influence but nto sure.. The odd small private one perhaps… very sad…..
Jane I can tell you I hear from more people, but as usual far too many are afraid to step forward.
I do believe you Jamie I will gladly step forward if anyone will join me.. not just one or words..hundreds… action and direction to who? I would think that the families of people in these homes would want better for their loved ones… What say you Mr mayor? Nothing as usual?????
you keep blaming the mayor you should blame the college and Ontario goverment for passing people through a course that shouldn’t be taking it .I know a lot of people that weren’t allowed to keep there children but there allowed to keep care of your parents, drug addicts and all sorts that are forced to go to school and take a course because the money is good and the course is not to difficult ,so your getting everyone, and not the ones you should get .