Local Service Clubs Launch ‘We Can’t Wait’ Campaign for Campbellford Memorial Hospital Redevelopment
/Various local service clubs have launched the ‘We Can’t Wait’ campaign, supporting the redevelopment of the Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) as part of a larger Campus of Care.
In Oct. 2021, Campbellford Memorial Hospital announced that local farmer Jim Curle had donated nearly 50 acres of land for the proposed redevelopment of the hospital. Photo courtesy of Campbellford memorial hospital.
In addition to a new hospital, the proposed development will also contain a new Long-Term Care home, a Community Mental Health Clinic, the Geriatric Assessment and Intervention Network and future plans for supportive senior housing.
With various plans to build a new hospital talked about for decades and formal negotiations with the Province nearing the ten-year mark, executive director of the Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundation John Russell has seen his share of starts and stops when it comes to redevelopment in his ten years with CMH.
“It really feels different this time. We have the land secured, we have partnerships in place, a local Long-Term Care home ready to redevelop alongside us, and even leadership donors who are beginning to indicate their financial support,” said Russell. “Local governments across the region have expressed their support, we’ve really never been this prepared to move to the next step.”
That next step, CMH says, involves securing a planning grant and the Provincial Government’s approval to move the project forward. Although the approval will not only provide the funds required to plan and design the new facility, it will provide the needed regulatory authorization.
“Simply put, we’ve gone as far as we can without that planning grant,” Russell continued.
photo courtesy of CMH.
Lawn signs in support of CMH can be seen throughout Trent Hills and the Kawarthas, directing residents to visit the CMH website to learn how they can help support the redevelopment process and join the We Can’t Wait campaign.
“We’ve always been huge supporters of the hospital,” said president of the Rotary Club of Campbellford Dave Sharp. “We wanted to find a way to help and right now what we need most is to show the Provincial Government that our community is behind this project one hundred percent.”
Sharp and the Campbellford Rotary Club are one of the local service clubs behind the We Can’t Wait campaign.
This sentiment was echoed by president of the Campbellford Lions Club Don May. The Lions have also shown their support behind the campaign.
“We wanted to do what we could to support this project. The proposed redevelopment will be a huge benefit to our community and everyone who lives here,” said May. “Our population continues to grow, continues to age, and we need this project approved now.”
Neighbouring Rotary Clubs in Stirling-Rawdon and Brighton are also supporting the campaign, and CMH says We Can’t Wait signs will soon start popping up in those communities.
photo courtesy of CMH.
