Addington Highlands would like some physician recruitment money after all.

Craig Bakay | Mar 04, 2020

Addington Highlands Reeve Henry Hogg has sent a letter to Lennox & Addington County requesting $50,000, the same amount Stone Mills Township was allotted for “physician recruitment.”

The letter was read out at Addington Highlands regular meeting Tuesday in Flinton.

Filling in for the vacationing Hogg, Dep. Reeve Tony Fritch said that Addington Highlands has already invested considerably in physician recruitment, along with North Frontenac Township.

But, after buying the Northbrook Medical Centre for $635,000 plus $100,000 for equipment, plus buying the former Denbigh Public School as a satellite office for the Lakelands Family Health Team was established.

“As the Family Health Team is still short on doctors, the Township is continuing to work with them in a effort to recruit more physicians,” Hogg said in his letter. “The availability of health care locally is extremely important to the residents of Addington Highlands and as such is a priority for Council.

“The steps taken to date have been relatively successful in physician recruitment.”

Hogg said: “It is for this reason that we believe that this initiative is better kept at the local level and we respectively request that County Council consider providing Addington Highlands with financial assistance in the amount of $50,000 to assist with our ongoing investment in physician recruitment.

“These funds would be used solely for capital upgrades to our existing facilities as well as building maintenance.”

“We’ve already spent quite a bit on recruitment so when Stone Mills used their money on infrastructure, we thought we should too,” said Fritch.

Load restrictions in place

Roads and waste manager Brett Reavie told Council that winter sand top up has started and should be completed by the first week of March depending on the weather. He said a draft copy of the road needs study has been completed and should be finalized in the near future.

He said load restrictions of 5 tonne per axle will be starting March 8.

Reavie also told Council to keep in mind when responding to proposed regulatory changes to the Aggregate Resources Act that the Township also holds several licences for aggregates.