Physician recruitment best left to LFHT for Addington Highlands says Reeve

Craig Bakay | Feb 19, 2020

“Physician recruitment for this area is best left with the Lakeland Family Health Team,” said Reeve Henry Hogg in a letter to Lennox & Addington County tabled at Tuesday’s regular Addington Highlands Council meeting in Denbigh.

L & A County asked for feedback from its constituent municipalities at a meeting last November.

“The current financial incentive partnership with the Township of North Frontenac has significant value that we do not want to lose,” Hogg’s letter also said. “The County should continue to play its key role in promoting Addington Highlands and the three other lower tier municipalities as great places to live, work and play.

“This promotion is greatly appreciated and of significant value to our community.”

After the meeting, Hogg said that they’ve had a relationship with North Frontenac for more than 10 years and in consulting LFHT, the parties involved think they have put together a competitive package to attract a doctor to the area ($75,000 from each of the two townships over five years as well as the opportunity to receive an additional $92,160 per year because of the area’s Rurality Index for Ontario.

“I just don’t think we have much in common with the rest of the County when it comes to physician recruitment,” Hogg said.

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One of the biggest things Council dealt with on Tuesday was naming islands in Weslemkoon Lake, Hogg said.

“There are 52 islands, most of which are unnamed,” he said. “They have to be named to be given civic addresses.”

He said the Township consulted with the Lake Weslemkoon Cottage Association and the received suggestions will be sent to the Ontario Geographic Naming Board, he said.

There were six islands for which no name suggestion was received.

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Council told the Kaladar General Store that it had no objection to having the LCBO Agency store open on Family Day, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving and Boxing Day.

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The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has sent the Township a letter containing several conditions it wants fulfilled before it would allow expansion at the Denbigh Waster Disposal Site, which has been ‘temporarily’ closed since June of 2007.

“Ah jeez,” Hogg said. “It’s been 13 years and we’ve done everything they’ve asked but they still won’t approve it.

“But, after all the money we’ve spent on it, I guess we have no choice but to continue on with what they require.”