The Ministry of Health has finally responded to Sarnia's request for a meeting to update the long-planned Sarnia-Lambton withdrawal management centre.
Mayor Mike Bradley said he received a response Wednesday morning after Blackburn News had aired and posted a story in which he called out the government for failing to reply to a request he first sent out September 24.
Mayor Bradley sent a follow-up email to Health Minister Christine Elliott again last week and her office contacted him Wednesday to arrange a meeting with a small local delegation.
"There was no rationale given to why we hadn't had a response," said Bradley. "I will say that Bob Bailey had contacted this office earlier this week after he received the letter, saying he would follow up directly with the minister and I believe he did so. I think that had an impact on the response. It could have got lost in the bureaucracy, who knows where it ended up, the good thing is that we can get a meeting and make this case for this vital project for the health of the community."
Mayor Bradley said he would like to meet in the next few weeks.
Back in November 2018, during a visit to Sarnia, Premier Doug Ford indicated his government would support funding for a withdrawal management facility.
Mayor Bradley wants the ministry to sign off on the funding soon because it will take time to construct or lease a building for the proposed 24-bed centre that was estimated to cost $8.8 million.
Minister Elliott told reporters, during to visit to Sarnia last August, that the province was working to coordinate the capital and policy sides of the project.