Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley’s assessment of Thursday’s meeting with Health Minister Deb Matthews is far from positive.

A nine member community delegation travelled to Queen’s Park to lobby for increased funding for decommissioning of the old Sarnia General Hospital site.

Mayor Bradley says the minister was totally unreceptive, telling the group a local solution needs to be worked out for demolition of Sarnia General and the province has no role to play of any great significance.

Bradley admits he expected more and thinks the community expected more from the hour long meeting. He says it’s simply incomprehensible the Liberal government can spend over $250-million on a new hospital and not be concerned about the demolition of the old one.

Mayor Bradley says the meeting was very frank on occasion because of the significance of the issue to the community. He says he was very pleased with the community delegation’s eloquent presentation which outlined an estimated cost of demolition and other alternatives.

Mayor Bradley has said the cost of maintaining and securing the Mitton St. site since its closure in late 2011 is nearing $1-million while the cost of demolition is around $3-million.

The city delegation to Toronto also included Lambton County’s warden, the chamber of commerce president, labour and Bluewater Health officials.