Wawa Municipal Council's speaking out against a potential merger of local health units.
While the boards of health for Algoma Public Health (which represents an area including Wawa, Dubreuilville, and White River) and the neighbouring Public Health Sudbury and Districts (whose coverage area includes Chapleau) voted late last year to explore the feasibility of a merger, Wawa Council's sent a letter to both, expressing opposition to the idea.
Noting a number of concerns around the size of the area that would be served, Mayor Melanie Pilon says one of the biggest concerns is Wawa "losing its voice".
Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker (who sits on APH's board) raised objections to the idea when it was voted on by the board in November, noting concerns about representation with a merged agency as well as a commitment to not reduce staff - something APH has since done, anyway.
The board of local women's shelter CHADWIC Home (which serves Chapleau as well as Wawa, Dubreuilville, White River, and neighbouring communities) has also sent a letter warning the health unit boards that "any reduction in service available in our area would be problematic for our clients and for the communities at large" and urging it to "keep in mind the valuable and necessary role that these services play in the smaller, northern communities and work hard to ensure their continued presence and level of service in our area".
APH's board had discussed in September provincial government pressure for health units to merge, as the province has offered funding for units who "voluntarily" merge, which prompted the neighbouring Porcupine and Timiskaming units to explore the option.
The PC government had planned in 2019 to merge the province's dozens of health units into ten, with a single one for northeastern Ontario, claiming larger agencies would mean cost savings and lead to improved public health services.