THUNDER BAY – City council is considering a $1.5 million request from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation to help implement heart surgery at the regional hospital.
Under provincial guidelines, the community would required to put up 10 per cent of the construction costs and 100 per cent of the capital costs for equipment, with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care covering 100 per cent of the operating costs once the $32-million surgical centre is up and running.
The foundation earlier this year launched a $10-million campaign to cover the remainder of the costs.
Foundation president Glenn Craig said if the request is granted, the city could pay the money on a three-year installment plan ahead of the centre’s scheduled 2020 opening.
“We need to make sure we have the equipment in place by then,” Craig told council on Monday night.
No decision was made on Monday night, as council generally does not approve outside financial requests on the night they are made.
Coun. Aldo Ruberto, who said he supports the project, wanted to know if the federal government might be able to contribute to the project.
“My concern is we treat everybody,” Ruberto said. “We’re a regional centre.”
He later asked it to be sent to the intergovernmental affairs committee to bring to Ottawa’s attention.
Campaign chair Paul Fitzpatrick, responding to Mayor Keith Hobbs’ question about economic impact, said between 300 and 400 regional patients per year are expected to utilize the centre each year.
Overall the program will serve about 1,000 patients per year for both vascular and cardiac surgery.
Ruberto also questioned how much it cost families to travel to southern Ontario for treatment and was told it was in the thousands of dollars.
The deputation later clarified having the surgery done at Thunder Bay Regional would save taxpayers about $5 million a year in travel costs.
The centre would add about $12 million to $15 million in salaries.
Current River Coun. Andrew Foulds asked what would happen if council chooses not to provide the $1.5 million.
“I would need to know if that’s contingent on the city putting forward the money,” Foulds said. “Obviously there are some pretty significant consequences if we don’t support this.”
City manager Norm Gale confirmed his fears.
“The short answer is yes,” Gale said. “The provincial funding is contingent on City of Thunder Bay funding.”
