Saugeen Shores and Kincardine are looking at a partnership to keep their hospital ERs open and ensure there are family doctors for all residents, and also they’re hoping Bruce Power will help fund it.
A Saugeen Shores staff report says a previous partnership dissolved in 2020 and since then, Saugeen Shores has been working to reestablish the partnership with Kincardine.
Now, town staff from both Kincardine and Saugeen Shores have developed a plan. Its main goals are to ensure local hospital emergency rooms are never at risk of closure, and provide access for all residents to a family doctor.
If approved by Saugeen Shores council at its next meeting, and Kincardine council which is due to hear a staff report on the partnership Wednesday, the two communities would send a request to Bruce Power for its consideration in funding the program.
The reason they’re reaching out to Bruce Power for support is the towns are home to huge numbers of Bruce Power employees, and they expect more employees will be moving to the region.
They plan to ask for $150,000 which would be shared between Saugeen Shores and Kincardine. Staff say that number is based on current municipal budgets for physician recruitment as well as some new activities beyond what is already being done.
