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Friday, March 26,1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Region eager to assume ambulance service responsibility By Irene Gentle S P E C IA L T O T H E B E A V E R Halton should take control of land ambulance services next year despite a newly announced reprieve from the province, said regional chair Joyce Savoline. "We're ready and we're anxious," she said. Though regional governments throughout Ontario were expected to shoulder full responsibility for down­ loaded ambulance services by January 1, 2000, they have now been given the option to wait until 2001. The province also announced it will kick in 50% of ambulance and public health costs for 1999, and likely for future years as well. The region has been foot­ ing the full bill for ambu­ lances since Jan. 1st of last year. It paid $4.8 million in 1998, and will likely pay up to $5.8 million this year. Despite the extension, Savoline said she will be urg­ ing the region to take control of ambulances at the earliest opportunity. "The sooner you take responsibility of the ambu­ lance services, the sooner you can make the policies and set the standards," she said. If council approves a staff recommendation to renegoti­ ate contracts with Halton's two current suppliers, it will give the region two years to learn the nuts and bolts of the service first hand, she said. "The region would like to take the time to learn the business," said Savoline. "We have a responsibility to over 300,000 people." With Halton at the helm, the region could continue a training program aimed at bringing about 60% of para­ medics up to a level two, or advanced life support, level, she said. That wouldn't be assured if the Ministry of Health con­ tinued operating the system for another year. The region's finance com­ missioner Joe Rinaldo also advocated taking over the reins as soon as possible. "If you proceed earlier, you can determine the level of service earlier," he said. "We're still strategically rec­ ommending that we take over by January 1,2000." The current staff recom­ mendation will buy the region time if the province changes its mind yet again, said Halton CAO Brent Marshall. "This is an interim solu­ tion in Halton," he said. "A two-year approach gives us time to watch what will hap­ pen with the Provincial gov­ ernment." On the funding front, Rinaldo cautioned that the new money from the govern­ ment may turn out to be a good news, bad news story. While the 50% funding is good news, it's likely the cash injection into ambulance and public health will decrease the province's contribution to Halton's Community Reinvestment Fund. Last year, Halton was given about $7 million through that fund. That was to offset the $28 million downloading costs the region absorbed in 1998. 'They'll do a re-evalua­ tion of that fund now," said Rinaldo, who promised to have hard figures on the announcement's impact on Halton as soon as they become available. While the funding for public health and ambulances appears to be more than a one year deal, Rinaldo warned that the Province has the right to change its funding formula at any time. Regional councillors balk at complete ambulance takeover By Irene Gentle S P E C IA L T O T H E B E A V E R They may have left the drivers seat, but the province has decided not to exit the vehicle completely after all. In a surprise move that some councillors and regional staff have tagged a pre-election gambit, the provincial gov­ ernment has decided to take back half the financial burden of public health and land ambulances. The province has also given regions across Ontario the option to delay taking over full control of ambulance services until Jan.l, 2001. Until early this week, regions were expected to take over the reins by the beginning of next year. The announcement came on the heels of a tense health and social services committee meeting in which delegation after delegation urged the region to veer away from a staff direction to renegotiate the contracts of Halton's two current (See 'Paramedics' page 13) On April 1,1999, a new territory will be born. N unavut Nunavut, "our land" in Inuktitut, is the traditional land of the Inuit in Canada's eastern Arctic. This fifth of Canada's land-m ass is hom e to a young and dynam ic population of about 25 ,000 . Nunavut faces form idable challenges, but it also holds great prom ise for its people. Northerners have always dem onstrated resourcefulness, ingenuity and adaptability. The new Governm ent of Nunavut w ill reflect this in a partnership that incorporates the best of traditional Inuit values and contem porary systems. Canada - built through cooperation, an evolving dem ocracy and a tradition of peace - continues to grow w ith the birth of this n ew and unique territory, Nunavut. M Governm ent Gouvem em entof Canada du Canada