THUNDER BAY – Councillors are upset city taxpayers are on the hook to pay for programs that are provincially funded in other areas of Ontario.
The city delegation that attended this week’s Ontario Good Roads Association and Rural Ontario Municipal Association meetings in Toronto this week met with Health Minister Eric Hoskins to discuss why programs such as Shelter House’s managed alcohol program and a mobile crisis response unit aren’t being paid by the Northwest Local Health Integration Network.
Coun. Brian McKinnon, vice-chair of the city’s intergovernmental affairs committee, said there are many examples across the province where other LHINs are funding those programs.
“It’s not fair. It’s not fair to our taxpayers,” McKinnon said.
“That’s the issue, where it’s happening in other jurisdictions. It’s being supported…It has to be coordinated. When it’s happening in one jurisdiction it has to happen in others.”
For the past year the Thunder Bay Police Service has been looking to partner with the Northwest LHIN to launch a mobile crisis response unit, which would pair a mental health worker with a specifically trained officer to respond to potential mental health costs.
The program, which is estimated to cost at least $350,000 annually, is designed to save hundreds of police hours that would otherwise be spent in hospital waiting for the individual to be evaluated by medical staff and potentially ease the emergency room load.
“The mental health worker would be able to look at the situation and instead of going to the hospital maybe divert to another facility or association or something of that sort,” said McKinnon, who is also a member of the police services board.
“But in the meantime you’ve saved at least one car with two officers spending five or six hours trying to deal with one individual.”
Instead, the LHIN has offered $30,000 for a training program.
When the issue was raised to Hoskins, he was apparently surprised and directed ministry staff to examine it further.
Another example raised was funding for Shelter House initiatives. The organization recently pleaded with city council for an extra $181,000 to help maintain additional programming like their Street Outreach Services and managed alcohol program, which councillors approved but said needs to start being funded by senior levels of government.
Coun. Joe Virdiramo said he understands each LHIN operates differently but said the city is still going to call for changes.
“I guess every LHIN has their own priorities however when it comes to a point where we have similar programs and they’re funded in one area of the province and not the other we’re certainly going to push for the funding for here,” he said.
Virdiramo added he was pleased with the response from Hoskins and is optimistic the city might get some relief.
The city delegation also met with a number of provincial cabinet ministers where they addressed topics such as homelessness action, Ontario Disaster Relief Program funding, immigration challenges and reform, climate change and Thunder Bay District Jail upgrades or replacement.
