Bracebridge University Campus May Be Coming To An End; South Muskoka Memorial Hospital Has Been Supported By Cottage Community

BREAKING NEWS - UNIVERSITY CAMPUS TO CLOSE AT JUBILEE PARK - DOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD GET THE PARK BACK?

     In case you didn't know this, and I can forgive you if you didn't, because it was quite a few years back, I was one of the vocal, placard waving opponents, of the university campus proposal, at the expense of urban open space, historically known to local residents of Bracebridge, as Jubilee Park. The idea was to build a university / college campus on an important piece of urban landscape, in the Hollow area of the community, bordering Wellington Street. It was the former home-site of the Bracebridge Agricultural Society, and where the annual autumn Fall Fairs were held. In my youth, it was home field to all town baseball clubs, and as such, it became recreationally and socially iconic.
     As far as objecting to this re-use proposal, and selling off the land, protestors were scorned, and I mean that, and in fact, I have never been forgiven for being outspoken in this regard. I except shunning as part of the deal, when it comes to municipal privilege. I fight it in my own way. I bombard them with love.
     So finding out this afternoon, via online news, that the university component of the multi-use property, will potentially be shutting it's doors in the not-so-distant future, is both immensely angering, while at the same time, of some minor, minor consolation, to critics like me, who had argued this exact thing would happen in the future. Apparently it has happened sooner than even they expected.
     I can remember sitting at the Ontario Municipal Board hearing, at the former Bracebridge Centennial Centre, regarding the site proposal, when, at the conclusion of the meeting, a Bracebridge Councillor seated behind me, who had been whole heartedly behind the land sale from the beginning, stood up to leave while boasting at the same time (so I could hear it clearly), that this was going to be the greatest thing for the Town of Bracebridge. Maybe better than Santa! It was aimed at all of us, who believed the move was short sighted, and not in the best interest of a growing town, in a transitional urban neighborhood, that would eventually see population density increases in the decades to come. None of us could understand how the Town could sell such a wonderful in-town park, that had been a donation to the village in the time of Queen Victoria, and in recognition of the Jubilee of her reign.
     Back then, we were considered nothing more than a nuisance group, trying to stop the town's efforts to achieve that evasive economic stimulus, then thought to be hinged so wonderfully, on educational enhancement. How did that work for the town? We were considered near-heretics, spewing out blasphemy, and it would be on our heads, if the proposal was overturned by the Ontario Municipal Board decision, that we, by the way, demanded, so that our objections could be aired for the benefit of local citizens; unaware of the full obligations and loses as a community of park surrender. Town Council and its significant supporters, were all onside before the proposal was made public, and it narrowed the opportunities of objectors, especially in the abutting neighborhood, to mount a proportional, well founded opposition. Whether it was a fair fight or not, the campus went ahead as planned, and now, well, it has hit a little snag on the way to making the town evermore prosperous; the claim we heard over and over in that tumultuous year.
     The park is gone no matter how you look at it, and a new open air sports facility, well off into the hinterland, (as it was when I was growing up) where, in my opinion, it doesn't belong; but that's a story for another day.
     On the night we protested, the sale of the park, we were loudly heckled by supporters of the project, and as a long serving town historian, I have to admit, it felt rather odd to actually be embedded in a breaking news event, that would eventually make the ink of local history. It became profoundly historic, in fact, and a time in the town's chronology, participants on the "no" side, will never forget; or forget to write about from time to time, to remind the town of the occasion, many fine citizens were treated with disrespect, just because they decided to exercise their democratic right, to save a park. Versus voting to sell it for some magic beans.
     I will not raise a toast to my old protesting mates, in recognition of this news, or feel any real sense of contentment, because frankly, it sucks on many different levels, besides what happened during that year of discontent. It is unfortunate for all concerned, especially town officials, who are finding themselves immersed now, in one of the most challenging terms of office in recent history. Suffice to say, "I told them so." As for the historians who argued against me, and who failed to support saving the park, as an historic site, suffice to say, it's all water under the proverbial bridge now.
     


SOUTH MUSKOKA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL DEBACLE BEGAN BEFORE AMALGAMATION OF SERVICES

SITE OF ONE CENTRAL HOSPITAL IS GOING TO BE AN HISTORIC EVENT FOR SURE


     MORE THAN FOUR YEARS AGO, I TRIED, AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN, WHO HAPPENED TO HAVE A BLOG, AND THE WRITING ABILITY TO COMPOSE A LETTER TO THE LOCAL PRESS, NOW AND AGAIN, TO CUT THROUGH SOME OF THE EVASIVE, FOGGING OF REALITY, ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SOUTH MUSKOKA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. I'VE BEEN TRYING EVER SINCE, TO GET THROUGH TO THE FOLKS IN GRAVENHURST, PARTICULARLY OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE ON THIS ISSUE, WHICH COULD INVOLVE EITHER A FULL CLOSURE, OR A RE-LOCATION IN THE "ONE" HOSPITAL OPTION. THIS IS WHAT THE BOARD HAS SELECTED BY THE WAY, ACCORDING TO MEDIA REPORTS THIS WEEK. THIS RE-LOCATION DECISION WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST DEVISIVE AND POLITICALLY VOLATILE DECISIONS IN MUSKOKA HISTORY. THE REASON I HAVE BEEN HARPING ABOUT THE ISSUE, VIA THIS BLOGSITE, IS THAT I'VE HAD IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY SOMETHING IMMINENT AND DRAMATIC WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND HONESTLY, MY SOURCES WERE SPOT-ON. THE FIRST TIME I PICKED IT UP, THAT OUR HOSPITAL WAS IN TROUBLE, WAS DURING A PERSONAL CONVERSATION, BEFORE THE TURN OF THE NEW CENTURY, IN AND AROUND THE TIME I WAS ACTING HOSPITAL HISTORIAN. WHILE I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE BEATING THE DRUM, AND TRYING TO BUILD A SIGNIFICANT PROTEST, I HAVEN'T AVOIDED RAISING THE ISSUE; WHENEVER I GOT NEW INFORMATION, OR A SNIPIT OF GOSSIP THAT SEEMED TO BE A VESSEL THAT COULD HOLD WATER.
     One of the reasons I began pressing local council, on the potential of either hospital closure, or a centralizing re-location proposal, was the incredible impact it was going to have on Gravenhurst specifically. For decades, economic development committees, in both Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst, have been using South Muskoka Memorial Hospital as a bragging asset, when hustling up new development and outside investment. Sure, having a hospital like ours is a selling advantage. Now consider the precarious situation of Gravenhurst, that has been actively promoting retirement living in South Muskoka. It's one thing to attract senior citizens, and developers to create retirement communities, but quite another, to have the pivot of it all, our hospital, closed or re-located someplace that creates greater travel times for medical emergencies. One of the reasons we have as many retirement apartments, and nursing home beds, is because of the acceptable travel time for emergency hospital care from central Gravenhurst. It would be interesting to publish the number of nursing and retirement home ambulance calls in a year, transported to South Muskoka Memorial Hospital, (to and from Gravenhurst).
     The Town of Gravenhurst has no choice but to fight like mad, to either reverse the decision, of one hospital for Muskoka, or lobby to have the central location remain in Bracebridge, or even further south. The town now has a responsibility, to protect those retirement communities, (and citizens), that chose to locate here, and expand services and accommodation, as a direct influence, of emergency response realities. Bracebridge as well, has a large retirement and nursing home population, with many facilities near the urban centre, and should the single hospital approach, put a new facility in Huntsville, there will have to be some serious reviews about attracting retirees to our fine district, from here on in!
     The fight to maintain South Muskoka Memorial Hospital where it is, or to have a new central hospital located in Bracebridge, in my opinion, based on historical precedent, will depend on the involvement of the cottager associations and related seasonal residents, who have for long and long, assisted the medical facility with funding, going back to the first days of the former Red Cross Memorial Hospital. The relationship with the cottager community is as old as the hospital site itself, and the Hospital Foundation has benefitted greatly in the past, from many large donations from these associations. It is of great benefit of course, that Bracebridge has had a hospital facility, with its central location to the Muskoka Lakes community. It would also be of considerable interest to the public, I'm sure, to know how many seasonal visitors, resort guests and cottagers, received treatment at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital each year. As well, how many lives have been saved, because the hospital was situated in Bracebridge, with shorter travel times by ambulance, than if the hospital was situated further to the north. The cottage associations have had peaked respect for this situation, and because it is clearly an historic relationship, with the local community, that began soon after the Red Cross Hospital opened its doors, in 1928, it is necessary that the cottage and resort community, have a fair opportunity to weigh in, on such a critically important decision; that seems to have been made without their active in-season participation. At least I don't see this as evidence in the newspaper accounts, published this week.
     I think it is most important now, for our local town councils, working together, to reach out to the cottagers associations in our area, to make an appeal for support, to help keep our hospital, either where it is, or in the same part of the district, when a final decision is made. Do I think we can go it alone, as municipalities? No! The greater concern here, is that we are one of the best known tourism areas in Ontario, and if the tourism economy is threatened, and services denied, we affect more government agencies than simply Ministry of Health. Tourism could be seriously impacted by this decision. So we should ask our friends to help us fight Queen's Park.
     This fight to have a central hospital for the entire district, will have a hugely negative impact on all municipalities in the present six township jurisdiction. So those who have initiated the hospital redesignation mandate, will have to assume responsibility for the civil unrest, I guarantee is about to prevail upon those in charge. Is it going to be a fair fight? Well, it will be fight, and an historic one. Are we ready?