Ontario Government Receiving Over $8.5 Million in Funding for Peterborough County-City Ambulance Services

Peterborough County-City Paramedics is receiving $8,701,551 from the Ontario Government to support the hiring of additional paramedics, wage and cost of living adjustments and general ambulance services operations announced at the Peterborough Paramedic station on Friday morning.

Warden J. Murray Jones (left), Chief Randy Mellow (middle) and MPP Dave Smith (right) during Jones’s final days as warden before retiring from a 24-year political tenure. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The funding is part of the Ontario Government investment of nearly $764 million in the province’s Land Ambulance Service Grant (LASG) to help municipalities facing increased cost pressures in their emergency departments.

“When people call 911, they need to know that paramedics will arrive quickly to meet their needs. A delay in a service call of just minutes can lead to drastically different results,” said MPP Dave Smith. “This investment will help all of us receive better service when our loved ones pick up the phone at that critical time.”

Through LASG, municipalities receive funding for 50 per cent of the costs of their land ambulance operations. This funding is part of the government’s commitment to building a modern, sustainable and connected emergency health system that supports every Ontarian on their health care journey according to a press release.

“The Province has supported our response to COVID-19 and recognized the need for support continues as we emerge from the Pandemic in order to provide stability required for our Paramedic Service to ensure we meet the community’s needs,” said Chief Randy Mellow. “In addition, the Ontario government is also continuing to fund 100 per cent of costs for Central Ambulance Communications Centres.”

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