WELLINGTON COUNTY – County of Wellington council has approved a three-year lease agreement with the Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service (GWPS) to house and operate the paramedicine long term care project in Drayton.
The GWPS recently secured a grant to continue funding a pilot project where Wellington County residents on long term care waiting lists are monitored by the service.
This has been based out of the Harriston fire hall but the service will soon be based out of a county-owned building at 30 John St. in Drayton which has gone unused for years.
At Thursday’s county council meeting, $100,000 for necessary renovations were also approved by council.
The report also says moving the full Drayton ambulance service to this building and out of the local fire hall is also under consideration. The 10 year plan has a new Drayton ambulance station scheduled for 2026 or 2027.
CAO Scott Wilson clarified the renovations in the recommendation do not cover this full conversion and this would need to be explored further.
“To completely renovate that facility, to make it the centre for ambulance service in the north it would certainly take more than $100,000,” Wilson said, adding a north centre has been earmarked at $3 million in Arthur. “I do believe it needs quite a bit more discussion and to redo the garage in Drayton...it would be more like the $3 million we budgeted for.”
Earl Campbell, Mapleton county councillor, said this should move ahead if they can accommodate it at a reasonable cost.
“I just don’t want this put on the backburner for another five years if there’s an opportunity to save the county money in the long-term by renovating and using this facility,” Campbell said.
Mapleton mayor Gregg Davidson supported Campbell’s suggestion and noted major renovations shouldn’t be necessary to keep staff and park ambulances.
“Not adding on a training centre at this time but just moving that ambulance service over from the Drayton fire hall to this new place,” Davidson said. “If this new facility is ... going to be a 24 hour space, that's exactly what we’re looking to have in the township anyways based on reports from previous years.”
GWPS chief Stephen Dewar said he thinks it’s a good interim step to take until when the county has budgeted for upgrades to the Drayton ambulance station.
Minto mayor George Bridge cautioned against straying from the county’s plan too fast as changes to ambulance services are expected to come down from the province.
Warden Kelly Linton also cautioned on moving too quickly but said staff can be directed to report on how this can fit into future plans.
