Let there be no mistake, the issue regarding the future use of the General Hospital will be decided by our City Council.We need this building for the common good and social benefit of our community, with the focus on seniors. The Minister has been “encouraging us to bring a community proposal forward.”
Our “conditional” community proposal has been submitted on time and we have been informed that we have until June 3rd, to meet our conditions. Technical and administrative support is required from the City as one of the conditions, otherwise we are done.
We are not asking for any money. They could simply have the existing resources in the Economic Development office working on this file. We have to put politics aside and work together. Barrie Ontario went through the same process 10 years ago.
As for the final step, when we bring the community proposal to the Minister, we will not be asking for her permission. We will be doing what she has asked us to do all along.
Concerned Citizens Coalition
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Great work with this initial drive.
How about encouraging all elected officials in the three united counties to get on board by sending you an email of support as they are their citizenry representatives and can sign on their behalves, just as Cornwall council can project our desires to the Ministry on our communities behalf.
These can add to your tallies of community petitions signatory.
They would hold much merit to your drives with the city council presentation up coming as well.
Perhaps your group and Jim McDonnell’s petition can be presented together to show a ‘non-partisan’ approach as this issue belongs to the entire S.D. and G. communities and the need will draw clients from a much greater area than just Cornwall.
What about it’ mayors and reeves outside of Cornwall,,,this issue is yours as much as Cornwall’s……..sign up, let your voices be heard…….NOW would be a good time.
This drive is bigger than one man, one voice, one party. It goes beyond party lines. Too many party animals see the vote only one way without realizing that it is those who can pull the entire communities together that will achieve far more than their own ‘little’ voting world.
The ‘voice’ has been a moniker for a number of different politicians yet we have heard NOTHING from the federal side whilst they too have a lot at stake with the tsunami of seniors that WE ALL KNOW WILL SWAMP US WITHIN THE NEXT 5, 10 AND 15 YEAR TO 30 YEAR PERIOD.
Our Ontario Ministry of Health suggests we have HOME CARE FOR ALL OF THEM. REALLY?
Think of the jobs this will bring to Region. I believe this should be an Ontario Health Ministry Project once they accept the premise that this Eastern Region of the province not only requires it but also is shouting about it and they want it so much too.
Victoria Village Manor in Barrie went through this same ordeal. You should see it now…..WOW! They are willing to act as initial guides once the project is agreed on to go ahead.
Too many politicians are avoiding the commitments needed when all they need do is prod the Health Ministry through one massive conduit of push….ALL TOGETHER.
TOGETHER, WE CAN DO IT. It is up to the main driving forces to say mia compa, compare notes and initiated plans and come together with the wider community……..not in competition with each other.
YES WE CAN………..YES WE MUST..we must come together.
This all done by the man who should have been our Cornwall mayor thanks Mark
Many things in this city are being done by the MAN that should have been our Mayor. It’s too bad the little man that we unfortunately have to call our Mayor does absolutely nothing for this city. PLEASE people, let’s get rid of this jerk and let great people like Mark show this city what we can be.
It is long overdo for Kilger to go. He might have had some good qualifies at one time but they all went out when he got in with the clique then everything collapsed around him – the respect that the town had for him including his own personal life.
In the background I see people who truly care for the well being of Cornwall and I saw Dave Windsor speak with others. I saw a possible mayor there as well and one that isn’t rich and flaunting what he has but only an ordinary true human being who cares for his community and wants to do good.
My mother had home care when she was elderly and sick with cancer and diabetes and alzheimers disease. She could not stay alone at all and home care was not enough for someone like her. Homecare is the cheapest way to go and only for those who could get around on their own without a 24 hour constant supervision otherwise those who cannot care for themselves for a longer period of time have to have the long term care facilities.
This type of a facilty is dreadfully needed and it would bring jobs to those in Cornwall who are in the health care field. Everywhere in the world the population is aging. If something is not done to remedy the situation everywhere no matter where it is it is going to sink the economy and everything else. The elderly have been the backbone of society and have gone through the Great Depression of the 30’s and came out of it strong both physically and mentally and have gone through the Great Wars with honor and respect and it is about time that we pay them back in having a place to call home where they can’t call their own home anymore as theirs since they are no longer able to fend for themselves. We owe that to them.
We also owe things to ourselves to elect a good, strong, and respectable person to be the mayor of Cornwall and put the present one out on the rails. So much of an embarrassment that the town can no longer afford.
Jules, it is obvious that you STILL love this fine city or you would not write so much as you do from your new adopted home of Ottawa. You would not express so much hurt if you did not really care.
So often you come through with salient thoughts that draw out our own. Thank you.
With that I say to you that we must go on despite some difficulties. We must not lose sight of what so many of us envision with the potential lose of opportunity here with the former Cornwall General Hospital.
Not only would our own Cornwall Seniors lose out but this issue is bigger than just us. We believe we are fighting this good fight for the entire Eastern Ontario region.
Imagine if you will that you lived here and a loved one fell into despair. Imagine the multiple situations like that that would require placement (not necessarily a senior).
Placements for these situation from here end up in Pembroke. That is simply NOT ACCEPTABLE. Perhaps it would not happen if one had networks that could allow local placement however that is not the norm.
Further to that, if we did not have a solid building in place that with adequate adjustments could spare us the separation of family/friends issues RIGHT HERE one might understand THE DISTANCE FACTORS. But, Jules, we do have such a facility.
Some say there is this or that problem, there is no money, there are inadequacies in this building. this property, it’s too old, etc.
Well I say, you are right. Yet, it is good enough fight now, to-day for a Dialysis Unit, a Mental Health Unit that encompasses drug and alcohol needs patients, it still offers clinical follow-up for broken bones, post operative consultations and a number of other functions.
Why then would it all of a sudden be condemned as a useless out of date facility because the CCH turns the key and locks the door. EXCUSE ME.
With respect to all the reasons for the CCH pass over, I simply do not understand why the ‘sale’ has to be done at all. However, it is what it is and what is now needed is simply a revised and separate entity, still funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health.
I simply do not agree with the thought of all of this redundancy. The Cornwall General Hospital is a solid well maintained structure. If it ain’t broken down, WHY NOT revitalize it much the same as Barrie did with their so called ‘redundant’ structure.
Victoria Village Manor in Barrie, Ontario can easily be found on any search engine. Personally I am impressed by their 10 year process to reach their current modern and beautiful facility.
Look at how well the revision McConnell Manor achieved without taking a wrecking ball to it first. Yes, this was private money for a private purpose, but it worked out well for those who use it.
CGH can do the same under the Ministry of Health who have the know how and who ALSO ARE FULLY INFORMED regarding the flood of seniors and those with premature calamities, who are not all going to die suddenly while being healthy. We’d all prefer to go like that, pain free…….but reality tells us, ‘it ain’t goina happin that way friends’.
Get behind the drive for this vital structure renewal of purpose. Rebuilding a new facility ‘somewhere’ else is a pig in a poke idea that would come far to late for the needs we see facing us.
Keep your jibs n’ jabs coming in Jules, as I believe we all have a right to free speech. With such a capacity to write as you do, I would hope that you will include this valuable process high on your positive side too.
Thank you for all you say and do on behalf of all of Cornwall.
You see, you wouldn’t do it if you didn’t love it. When the time is right, come back home Jules, we’ll be waiting for you.
Kind regards.
Dave
Dave Windsor you are absolutely right about me that I love Cornwall and yes if I didn’t love it and be concerned about Cornwall I wouldn’t be here at all. There are reasons why I left and it had to do more with opportunity for my children and before when I was first married and had no children it was opportunity for my husband and I and we didn’t want to leave Cornwall and was mighty hard to adjust here in Ottawa. My husband was used to big cities but I was a Cornwall girl and it was hard indeed. Now my husband does not like Ottawa and never has but we are here for our children’s sake. My daughter prefers Cornwall and my son Ottawa so we are literally stuck.
I hurt very much for the people in Cornwall and the people that I knew and I want to see a better administration system than the one that is there now. I was so mighty disappointed in what Willie Wise did and it hurt me a lot to see a man that I went to school with do dirty things to others in the US, Canada and wherever to steal money and put up an arena on highly polluted land with stollen money – that really was a kick in the gut. Cornwall is all over the net because of all this crazyness and the mayor, and Fitzy that I knew from St. Lawrence I knew his sister who was a very nice person back then. I am just so fed up of rich people who hurt the little people that is my frustration and that is everywhere. That clique has to stop. Cornwall could have had a lot of good jobs but everything was turned away and those industries of any kind are not coming back at all to Canada, US or anywhere except the far east.
I want to see the former General converted into a place for the elderly and while I was doing the dishes this evening I even thought like yourself to have a place for Dialysis and other things that are needed. I am very much for health care and to see that people get well treated.
There is nothing wrong with the former General Hospital and it just needs some upgrading. When something isn’t broken you don’t replace it. The front part of the former General is new and the back part of it was built in the 50’s era. I remember that very well. That is too good of a facility to lay to waste. I hope that something goes through to keep the former General and restore it into a very good facility for both seniors as well as other medical procedures and it is a must for Cornwall. Travelling to Ottawa and elsewhere is mighty hard on sick people and my mother had to years ago for cancer but those cancer machines cost way too much money including the specialists. My daughter had to go to the cancer unit at the Civic Hospital here in Ottawa to be tested for her thyroid and it brought so many bad memories of mom travelling here alone on the Voyageur Bus and back and she also stayed at the Maycourt in the Glebe and we missed her very much. I miss her very much and she is no longer here with me.
Dave Windsor my husband loves Cornwall and never heard one negative word out of his mouth about Cornwall. The negativity comes more out through mine because of what is going on with Kilger and the clique.
Placing seniors all the way up in Pembroke OMG Dave that is far. Pembroke is a good 2 hour drive from Ottawa. What is good about Pembroke is that it is a small town and is the hometown of my son’s favorite teacher here in Ottawa who is now retired in Prince Edward Island. Pembroke is also the hometown of your former mayor Brian Sylvester who works here in Ottawa for the Jewel radio station 98.5 FM. My husband and I have that station on the dial all the time and we sometimes listen to him when he works in the morning. I think that he usually works the afternoons I am not sure. When we are on the way to Cornwall then we put on Cornwall’s station – the FM 104.5.
Cornwall is situated in the right place and it needs to be advertised in a good way. Counsel was not good at promoting Cornwall and only two men stood up to promote Cornwall. Jamie is from Montreal and lived in Los Angeles California as well and he loves Cornwall and if he didn’t he would not be going through all the hell that he has to make a better city. I like Jamie very much as a real professional person who will speak the truth and he sure isn’t afraid of Kilger and what he has to say. I love this man’s approach with those T-shirts. That sure got Kilger’s attention for sure. LOL LOL. ROLF!
I am heading to Cornwall tomorrow for a few hours. I have family to see and then go back to Ottawa again. My husband dreads coming back and all he talks about is Cornwall even turning into our parking space in the underground garage. Our former supers way back in the 70’s are from Moncton NB and were able to go back home but I couldn’t unfortunately. We miss the small places and we envie them. The lady that delivers our mail is from Moncton and she told me a little about there but no work and is bigger than Cornwall. Cornwall needs good administration and things should turn around for the better if people would wake up and see what is going on. I am rooting for all of you. I will be turning in soon to bed since we will be getting up early to go to Cornwall.
Take Care Dave and everyone.
Mr. Windsor I was in Cornwall this morning and came home a little over one hour ago. I saw the For Sale signs on the former General Hospital. That hospital has potential for the elderly and clinics and nothing wrong with that building. It may need some upgradings and it needs an engineer to go through the building to see what is needed to be done.
We used to have a lovely hospital here in Ottawa called the Grace General Hospital and it was where my children were born and was run by the Salvation Army and it was such a nice hospital and they went and tore it down. That hospital was nice and friendly unlike the ones that they have today. You don’t tear down something that works.
Jules;
We travelled today as well. We went to Brockville for an appointment at the beautiful hospital called The General Hospital, located at 75 Charles St.. Just up from it, actually can be seen the older former St. Vincent du Paul which is now called the Brockville General Hospital on Gardner St. Basically similar names but the older unit has also been converted into a palliative care and conic care facility, similar to our St. Joseph’s Villa and Hospice here in Cornwall.
By the way Jules, we have never experienced so much friendliness ANYWHERE incl. Ottawa. The pleasantries and smiles literally overwhelmed us as if they were our personal best friends…everyone of them had smiles were honest, quick and wide open and personal attention when providing direction and personal information and guess what, they even pleasantly responded to each and every question without attitude…..YES….even their doctors. They ALL got along with us and each other like family.
I hate to mention this one, but everyone was English. I say that to remind us that their was no fighting over this issue, but then THAT is another issue for another time and page.
You see, a lot of this stuff is going on in a lot of cities. Victoria Village Manor though, is most like what we wish to see accomplished here in Cornwall and YES, IT CAN BE DONE.
Thanks for all your thoughts Jules. I could see though your words that YES, you do love Cornwall despite your harsh feelings.
Yes, Mr. Wise wasn’t very. He duped a lot of us here and even Mr. Kilgor, I understand, had a jet ride on one of his planes to an Island retreat a while back. Perhaps some of his campaign donations came from Mr. Wise. Perhaps one would think that these connections led to the contracts for the demolition projects that made a lot of money for a few Cornwallites through Paris Holdings Co. on the Domtar properties.
Strange how now the former Domtar site seems to be such a dead zone that even the local papers have stopped talking about it. Why and why is it not being parcelled off for further activity….is it now considered one of North Americas hot zones or is it buried in so much litigation that none of us will ever see growth their in our life times?
Yes, Mr. Wise has sure left his mark here as well as across the globe with his Swiss Bank, bank accounts hasn’t he……and those connected seem to be free and clear, with their own bank accounts.
All these and more questions arise due to lack of ””transparency”” that seems to follow through with our own council who are likely saying to themselves ‘if they only new’.
Good luck Jules with all your challenges. Family first, it’s the most important of all things beautiful.
You sure are right Mr. Windsor family is first. Yesterday I was stuck on names and I have it now Mr. Mark MacDonald was the name I was struggling with as one of the candidates for mayor. This man is working hard along with yourself to make a better Cornwall and for the former General Hospital to be made into a caring facility for seniors and for other medical care.
Brockville is a very nice town and we have friends who are now living in Florida who left Ottawa to live there for a while. They were shocked when they came back to Ottawa about 4 years ago to see what Ottawa is like now.
Ottawa has some very good people in the hospitals as staff but a smaller place like Brockville is in a better way because they treat you like a person more so than a big city. I have had experience with both the good and the bad.
Here in Ontario we don’t have the language issues like Québec and we have both official languages as well as foreigners from everywhere who have to learn one of our languages to get by. I do know that there is a lot of bad things going on in Montréal and much more than what a lot of people know and not just language but gangs that are mafia. It is not easy learning French and I sure admit that. I walked the floor day and night to learn French and I guess I wore out the floor at my parents house.
I am looking forward to reading what happens to the former General Hospital and hope that everything goes through very well for everyone.
All the best to you Mr. Windsor and take care.