Members of Cornwall City Council,
I write to you as a member of the Cornwall community.
You are no doubt aware of the Concerned Citizens Coalition – a group of local residents initiating action to acquire the soon to be decommissioned Cornwall GeneralHospital.
This group envisages the renovation and retrofit of the old Cornwall General, to create a state-of-the-art retirement / long term care / assisted living facility, which would also incorporate commercial, office, clinic and community space.
There is no question of the need for increased senior facilities, or the financial viability of such a community encompassing project; demographics clearly show the demand, and the success of similar projects clearly shows the economic feasibility.
I invite you to acquaint yourself with one particular model of success;the Victoria Village project in Barrie Ontario.
http://www.salterpilon.com/
http://ravensengineering.com/
I recently visited this site, and found a mix of residential, commercial, business, and community operations that is a going concern. The construction of Victoria Villagewas a boon to the local economy and workforce, and the completed project has become a thriving microcosm of community; a self-sustaining financial success, and a sought after location for residents and commercial tenants.
A grassroots organisation has sprung up in our own community of Cornwall, to achieve a similar great work. What is needed now is the will and commitment of our civic leaders to facilitate their work.
I ask you to please throw your weight behind this movement, and not be diverted by less worthy or less likely projects competing for your attention.
James Marshall
Cornwall, ON
I would encourage your leaders to have adequate info prior to their next appearance before council. Mr. MacDonald did nothing but beat around the bush when asked straight forward questions about the possibility of mould or asbestos, and the cost that would no doubt go along with any issues of that respect. He was unsure of regulations pertaining to room size for long-term care or the costs of changing layouts. He didn’t even know if Victoria Village was a hospital before the retro-fit. The idea is great in theory. I’m just wondering how deep this pit will be. Maybe 2M in the coffers could offer a better solution to the need for beds.
I was watching (check the Cogeco tape) and Mr. MacDonald stated clearly that it had been the Victoria Hospital, only a slight error, since it was apparently the old Royal Victoria Hospital.
It was Mr. Kilger who was neither aware of the hospital nor the Victoria Village project, although it has been in the news for a couple of weeks here and the Journal de Cornwall, and even the Standard-Freeholder if you can believe (just not the Ottawa papers maybe).
Mr. MacDonald did a pretty fair job compared to the lack of awareness of the issues on the part of some councillors.
Even, Councillor Thibeault shared that it’s a not a clear regulatory system to understand, even with experience. And that’s why it has gone to administration for a report.
And mold and asbestos??!? Who would know? It’s not like the hospital was telling their patients and employees about any danger.
At any rate, a project like this means gutting the building anyway. And since there’s been no problem with dumping asbestos at “Big Ben” a little mold along with it shouldn’t be a problem.
I said it before that Big Ben is dangerous and is leaking and I think that it was Mr. Marshall who spotted that as well. Asbestos and mold is very dangerous. Asbestos has been used in old houses and old buildings in past years. This is something that contractors are going to have to take out of the old buildings – the old General Hospital and I think that they do have such a thing as their insulation.
As for mold that can be cleaned up and get a good ventilation system on the go to prevent such a thing from recurring again. The walls have to be gutted out and a new wiring system, etc. The old General Hospital doesn’t have to be big like the one in Barrie Ontario. What needs to be done is to make the rooms adequate for the elderly. You do not need to have condominiums that are for the wealthy but a form of hospital like rooms for people who can no longer care for themselves. You can have tuck shops and even a hairdresser but condos are not necessary. I am so frugal and practical that I don’t go after things that I cannot afford. Hard times are coming and people have to be practical and down to earth. You use what you have and go from there. Don’t try to keep us with the Jones’ as the old saying goes.
The mayor “Bare Ass” is brain dead and doesn’t know what is going on around him. Council doesn’t know what is going on since they too are brain dead and are just about ready for one of those old age homes from the looks of them. We need to get those places ready to place them all soon.
The problem is that these people who run Cornwall do not know what is going on so how is the rest of the people going to know the real news. Most people do not buy that “toilet paper of record – SF” and only the brain dead sheeple will look at such a thing. News doesn’t get around to many people.
I said before that a civil engineer needs to look at the old General Hospital and tell everyone what is wrong and what has to be done before undertaking the project. I said it before build only what is really needed and not more. People that can no longer look after themselves are not going for condos. Be practical folks.