Grey County council has voted in favor of amalgamating 166 long-term care beds currently at Rockwood Terrace and Grey Gables at a new facility in Durham.
The decision at Thursday’s Committee of the Whole Meeting angered residents of Markdale, whose 66 beds at Grey Gables will be reallocated to the new building.
The vote also follows months of deliberations as council asked staff for several reports that they felt allowed them to make a more informed decision on the matter.
Most of the vocal opposition came from the mayor and deputy mayor of Grey Highlands.
Mayor Paul McQueen made a last-ditch attempt to stall the vote, calling for the county to submit an application to acquire more long-term beds, as well as floating the possibility of a coming provincial announcement that might include more beds for Grey County. McQueen also pushed to split a portion of the motion, which was denied based on how the portions of the motion intermingle with one-another, such as financial implications for the new facility in Durham.
Deputy Mayor Stewart Halliday further stated that not enough information was available to properly make a decision of such magnitude, and called being forced to vote under these circumstances a “socially-unjust approach." Halliday leaned in to the mic and stated “absolutely not” when asked for his vote, which ended 54-33 in favour of closing Grey Gables in Markdale.
Council had been awaiting a long-term care review from Grey County Director of Long-Term Care Lynn Johnson, who delivered her report during Thursday’s meeting. She noted that consolidation will address staffing shortages, reduce duplication of some services, increase the availability of specialized services like dietitians and physiotherapists, as well as increase the availability of long term care beds in an area with a high projected growth of seniors aged 75 and older.
The new building means it will be built to the most recent (2015) design standards for long-term care facilities, will offer opportunities for seniors living in Grey County, and provide an efficient building design that supports a fast-paced work environment.
Thursday’s motion is a blow to both the “Save Rockwood” and “Save Grey Gables” resident groups, who had been pushing to try and save their current facilities, while hoping to explore new possibilities in a split manner for both Durham and Markdale, respectively.
Johnson’s noted in her report that the amalgamation of these beds in Durham supports economic development in Grey Highlands, but was seen as little solace to a group that had been hoping for more of a “status quo” approach.
Save Rockwood member Dan Sullivan relented council’s decision, saying there was a better process that could have been followed to ensure all voices on the issue were being heard.
Although council voted in favour of the motion, Thursday’s session was a Committee of the Whole Meeting, and a final vote will have to take place at the next regular council meeting on Thursday, June 8.