Ground broken on the Georgetown Hospital expansion
NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington – Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2012
Ground broken on the Georgetown Hospital expansion
(Queen’s Park) – On May 29, Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott attended the groundbreaking
ceremony at the Georgetown Hospital to mark the start of construction on the hospital expansion
project.
The ceremony marked the culmination of nearly two years of work to successfully lobby the
Provincial Government to provide funding for the much needed project.
The expansion will provide the hospital with a new emergency room and CT Scanner.
Mr. Arnott thanked the Government of Ontario for coming through with the funding for the project
and congratulated the community for its efforts in making the project a reality.
“As I’ve often said, the most eloquent speech in the Legislature touting a community project never
amounts to a hill of beans unless the project is a good one, which has a lot of strong community
support,” said Mr. Arnott. “The Georgetown Hospital project is a very good one with a lot of strong
community support.”
Mr. Arnott recognized the hospital staff, the board, foundation, and volunteer association for their
dedication and commitment to advancing the project.
He also gave credit to the Mayor and Town of Halton Hills Council: “I want to say that my work in the
House was strengthened immensely by the position taken by the Mayor and Council. Passing a
resolution with a definite financial commitment from the Town, but leaving a void and implicitly,
publicly challenging the Province to fill it, was brilliant.”
Mr. Arnott has been repeatedly advocating for the hospital in the Legislature for almost two years.
His efforts included speaking in the House many times, writing numerous letters, arranging
meetings, speaking directly with the Minister of Health and Ministry staff, and even initiating a
debate and vote in the Legislature to support the project.
On August 31, 2011, just before the writ was dropped on the provincial election campaign, the
Government announced that it would provide up to $2.6 million to fund the project.
It should be noted that the Provincial Government is not covering the entire cost of the project and
local fundraising efforts are ongoing. For more information visit:
https://www.georgetownhospitalfoundation.ca/.
(Attached: Text of Ted Arnott’s speech at the Georgetown Hospital Expansion Groundbreaking
ceremony, May 29, 2012.)
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Ted Arnott, MPP, 416-325-3880, ted.arnott@pc.ola.org
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington – Halton Hills
The following remarks were delivered by Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott at a
Groundbreaking Ceremony at the Georgetown Hospital on May 29, 2012
Today I’m reminded of an English poet, who in 1968 wrote the immortal words:
“You can’t always get what you want.
But if you try sometimes,
You just might find,
You get what you need.”
I’m not sure if Mick Jagger and the other Rolling Stones have ever been to Georgetown, but they
could have been singing about our needed hospital renovation projects.
We have indeed demonstrated need.
And I can’t tell you how honoured I am to be able to join you this morning, and help you celebrate it.
It was just over two years ago that John and Cindy asked to meet with me to tell me about the high
volume of patients our emergency room was serving, far more than it was built for, and the need for
renovations to accommodate our new CT scanner.
We discussed the possibility of provincial funding for the project. While no one was overly optimistic,
I said I thought there was a chance, and my staff and I got to work.
I had already been advocating for years for the approval for a new Groves Memorial Community
Hospital for Centre Wellington, so in a way it was easy to begin advocating equally for Georgetown
Hospital.
Over the next 14 months or so, I raised it every way I could think of, putting my years of experience
in the Ontario Legislature to work.
I was glad to be here on August 31st, for the announcement of the Provincial Grant of up to $2.6
million.
But today is not a day for taking political credit.
In fact, as I’ve often said, the most eloquent speech in the Legislature touting a community project
never amounts to a hill of beans unless the project is a good one, which has a lot of strong
community support.
The Georgetown Hospital project is a very good one, with a lot of strong community support.
Very strong support from Town Council too, and I want to say that my work in the House was
strengthened immensely by the position taken by the Mayor and Council.
Passing a resolution with a definite financial commitment from the Town, but leaving a void and
implicitly, publicly challenging the Province to fill it, was brilliant.
Your Mayor and Council deserve that acknowledgment from their MPP, for we need to work
together, and I’m glad I’ve had this chance to offer it this morning.
Next, I want to express my thanks to everyone involved with the Hospital:
Our compassionate, caring and professional hospital staff, who work together as a cohesive team,
Our dedicated and trusted Board and Foundation, who are interested only in the betterment of our
community through better local health care,
Our wonderful Volunteer Association, who give the gift of their time, doing everything humanly
possible to help anyway they can,
And my friend Graeme Goebelle, who has done so much for health care in this community for so
many years.
All of these special people, coming together to raise the high bar of health care even higher, all while
creating a culture of continuous improvement.
Yesterday after Question Period, I spoke to Premier McGuinty and Heath Minister Deb Matthews to
inform them of our event here today, and thank them for their support. I did this to again underscore
my stated belief that while we may advocate publicly for our hospital projects, no one should ever try
to turn them into political footballs.
In that spirit, I again express my thanks to the Government of Ontario. I also want to thank Liz
Sandals, Shawn Kerr of the Minister’s Office, and Regional Chair Gary Carr.
Now, the campaign to raise the rest of the money we need to complete the project begins.
There is money in this Town. And there are generous donors who will respond to the solicitation.
I can’t believe anybody’s going to say no to Mike Holmes!
But all of us who have the means to do so can dig deep, and do our part. Let’s do that. Now is the
time.
And if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.
Congratulations, and thank you all very much!