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The Canadian Champion, Friday December 12, 2008 - A9 No new funding to be gained immediately No new fundmng for Halton was1 immediateiy announced by thei Province after the meeting between Smtherman and Carr, but the Province will send a team of min-i istry staff to Halton to advise the minister on how to "expedite eco- normie development in Halton," Smitherman said. Ihroughout 2008, Carr has pushed for the Province to address various issues, including hospital, infrastructure and operations fund- ing. Currently, some of Haltons hospitals are overcapacitv and Regional politicians of ail stnipes were not happy hy a i 3-month delay announced by the Province on the construction of a new bospi- tai in Oakville, pushing opening of the new facility on Dundas Street 10 2014. Additionally, the Province has made no major announcements on the expansion of the Mlton District Hospital. Smitherman said he bas been working on expediting the con- struction of the Oakville bospital with local Liberal MP Kevin Flynn. Infrastructure Ontario, which oversees the building of new hospi- tais for the Ministry of Health, onig- inally pushed back the ground- breaking of the Oakville hospitai because of shortages of qualified mechanicai, electnical and instru- mentation staff, said Flynn. However, he said he bas asked tbe Province to at least begin servicing and grading the hospital site and start pouning the foundations in an effort co be ready for the actual building construction wben quali- fied construction staff become available. Halton Conservative MPP Ted Chudleigh argued however that the Province should have neyer delayed the Oakville hospital due to expect- ed employment shortages witbout sending otut a request-for-qualifica- tion proposai to construction firms in the Province. Thougb Flynn said there are only three or four firms that can feasibly undertake a proj- ect as large and complex as con- struction of a hospitai, Chudieigh said that numbers dloser to eight. Carr bad wanted the Province te, amend the law governing develop- ment charges to aiiow the Region te tions. However, the Province said this past flu it doesn't plan to start changing the Deveiopment Charges Act in the current eco- nomîic climate. Halton Region is, bowever, cur- rentiy negotiating with developers for them to pay for the cost of roads, water and wastewater prou- ects needed to servicc resdenniai development in north Oakviile and Milton hcîwecn 2009 and 2021. Gary' Cregonis, vce-president of Mattamy Homnes, sad his eompany supports the notion that groxvth must pay for itseif." But be said the $38500 per-umit cost tbe Region is asking for, an additional $12.000 per-unit cost than now, îsn't simpiy being used to service future resi- dentiai communtties but aiso to cover the Regions "debt fînancing dropping, developers tha i nced io pass on Regional charges to homne- buyers might be prietng theinselves (ut of the market. Carr was less than sympathetie. "Dont compiain to me about the $38,500," Carr saîd was bis message to developers. "Because it would bave been a lot more il they had to pay for the hospitals.' if developers dont pay the extra infrastructure eosts, Carr added, then it wouid he lorceci onto exîst- îng flaiton taxpayers, somethîng Couneil is flot prcpared to do. The thîrd stiiking ponti hetween the Region and the Province bas been ithe încreased operations cosîs the Region bas taketi on sînce it started its massive growtb. Currently, the Regions heaitb (air i1 le Province caps subsidy increases for public health pro- grams ai live per cent a year, but demnands due bo population growth are more than that, Carr explained, meaning the Province is dropping below its fundîng targets. A lurther exampie is bow para- medics paid by the region bave heen ioced to watt at local hospi- îais hecause of delavs in ol-floadingu patients at packed emergeney departments, Carr added. fini [olan cati bce cached ai ifoîaniiPîtnilioîticaîiadianchampion cm. Dr. W.A. Filipowicz, MD., MF Family Physician Announces opening of Fumis' Medicine Practice 470 Bronte Street South, Unit 204, Milton, ON NEW PATIENTS WELCOME Please Cail: 905-636-1216 iffig dag p5peq? OnAiLLate, h.rln p6,tlnMnlP T 2009 SX4 AWD Crossover +RotrE rai +Cféh2jlI cease irom1 Lease APR Effective APR m i, a e n r v n $179" 2.9% 5.43% - Screen Printing + Pad Printing+ Etching + More per monih for 60 monihs r wiih $2965 down paymeni. 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