By Bob Runciman
Leeds-Grenville MPP
By BOB RUNCIMAN
Leeds-Grenville MPP
Being asked to produce an end-of-the-year article reviewing what has occurred in the previous 12 months and forecasting what we can expect in the next 12 months always leads to a difficult period of re-evaluation.
As a politician with 21 years of experience in the Ontario Legislature, I have discovered this process does not become easier. None-the-less I find it a useful exercise from a personal standpoint because my role as a legislator requires that every issue be confronted from a number of directions.
Opinion polls show that the majority of Canadians believe they are overtaxed. They continue to demand that they have more control over the money they earn so that they can make their own decisions on how it should be spent.
On the other side of the ledger are Canadians who demand that government should spend whatever it takes to meet the challenges with providing the best health care system in the world, the best education opportunities for our children, protection of our environment especially clean water, air and landscape, subsidized energy, and a myriad of services that improve the quality of life for all our citizens.
Quite honesty, I would love to be in a position where I could guarantee all
those things.
But that is not reality.
I believe, however, the Ontario government has done an excellent job of meeting the demands of its citizens with the financial resources available. Criticism is a way of life but it's equally important to sit back every once in awhile and reflect on what has been accomplished and where we are headed.
Personally, I am confident the future looks bright for the Province of Ontario and particularly Leeds-Grenville.
After years of stagnation there are many signs that rejuvenation and modernization
of our services is well under way to meet the challenges of the future. Putting
Band-Aids on infrastructure is no longer an option. We have been doing this
for too many years.
The Hospital Restructuring Commission presented a damning report on the condition
of facilities across the province. A period of renewal is well under way on
a number of fronts in Leeds-Grenville.
The Brockville General Hospital expansion and renovation will be completed
during 2003 at a cost of more than $33 million. The Providence Care Centre (St.
Vincent de Paul Hospital) has a similar plan before the Ministry of Health and
Long Term Care and expects to start construction sometime during 2003. The Kemptville
District Hospital is also planning a major expansion and renovation to start
in 2003 or 2004.
Since the Progressive Conservative election in 1995, two new community health
care centres have opened in Merrickville and Portland.
Rebuilding of the Maple View Lodge is under way in Athens at a cost of $8 million. The new home will accommodate 60 residents, an increase of 19. The redevelopment of St. Lawrence Lodge will go ahead in 2003 providing homes for 252 residents, an increase of 12. Recently, Sherwood Park Manor Nursing Home completed a major expansion.
The downtown core in Brockville will be enhanced by the ongoing reconstruction and expansion of the Courthouse Building at a cost of about $12 million. Completion of the project that protects the heritage design of the building will provide modern, efficient court facilities that will meet the needs of Leeds-Grenville for many years to come.
The creation of the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre on the site of the Brockville Psychiatric Hospital will provide state-of-the-art facilities to meet the many needs of society's offenders. Mental health services will now be guaranteed for offenders sentenced for their crimes. The first phase of the project, a 100-bed treatment centre and a 44-bed forensic unit will open this spring. Tenders have been called for the second phase, a 300-bed correctional unit and a 50-bed remand facility, and construction will start in the spring of 2003 with completion in 2004. The total project is expected to cost over $100 million and will provide employment for about 650 workers.
Major OSTAR projects are expected to commence in 2003. A new recreation/cultural complex in North Grenville at Kemptville will provide important quality of life services for the fastest-growing municipality in the riding. Other approved funding initiatives will allow municipalities to improve their water treatment and distribution systems, waste disposal systems, and even a bridge in Rideau Lakes Township.
Following through with the Rozanski report on education, the government is providing millions of dollars in new money to improve the quality of education in Eastern Ontario including Leeds-Grenville. The Upper Canada School Board has already announced plans to building new schools, including Smiths District High School that serves many Leeds-Grenville teenagers and some rural elementary schools.
The fiscal responsibility shown by the Harris and Eves governments are paying
off, allowing much-needed improvements to our educational infrastructure.
We have lost some major industries in our area in the past year and this will
have a major impact on our economy and the lives of workers who have been displaced.
But new jobs have been created in Leeds-Grenville with projects such as the
1000 Islands Charity Casino in Gananoque and new industries such as the NuComm
Call Centre in Brockville, both hiring more than 400 employees each. A number
of existing industries have expanded or are planning expansion, and municipalities
in Leeds-Grenville are working together on an ambitious co-operative effort
to bring others to our area.
With the positive developments of the past year and the projects that are
slated for 2003, I am convinced we are headed in the right direction. We all
share the frustration of setbacks but we have every reason to feel optimistic
about our future.
I would like to wish everyone a healthy and prosperous New Year.