Category: Hospital

Mayor Meets Premier: We Have Questions

Collingwood / Development & Growth / Hospital / Publicity & Communications / Utilities: electricity and water3 Comments

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In a municipal announcement, led with a screaming all-caps headline like a toddler in a toy store tantrum, the Town of Collingwood published a short statement from Mayor Hamlin about her recent meeting with Premier Doug Ford. Wait, you didn’t know about that meeting? Apparently, few in Collingwood did (and as of this writing, it has not appeared in any local media outlet). Read on. While normally a meeting with the head of the provincial government would be a good thing and worthy of a … click below for more ↓

Hamlin’s Letter-Writing Debacle, Part Two

Collingwood / Council / deception & secrecy / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Hospital / Publicity & Communications4 Comments

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Collingwood’s mayor’s arrogant refusal to cooperate and collaborate with our regional neighbours to support the long-overdue redevelopment of the General and Marine Hospital continues to make local news and infuriate residents. While her autocratic behaviour in refusing to sign the letter of support backed by all other neighbouring municipalities throws egg all over her, it also blackens the reputation of the town. But does the feckless Hamlin care? Not a whit. Let them eat cake! The original letter as signed by five other local mayors … click below for more ↓

Our Arrogant Mayor is At It Again

Collingwood / Council / deception & secrecy / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Hospital3 Comments

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For me, I didn’t see the need for another letter at this time. Things could change,” Mayor Yvonne Hamlin sniffily replied to CollingwoodToday in her best “Let them eat cake” manner. “For me.” It’s always about me, me, me. It’s almost like she took selfishness lessons from Councillor Jeffrey. Hamlin was responding to a question about why she, representing Collingwood, refused to sign a letter about our hospital being sent to “provincial health minister and deputy premier Sylvia Jones indicating the desire to see the … click below for more ↓

Don’t Forget Who Blocked the Hospital Redevelopment

Collingwood / Council / deception & secrecy / Election 2022 / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital3 Comments

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Among those incumbents running for re-election, are (so far), three who were part of the cabal on the 2014-18 council that actively and aggressively tried to block the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital’s redevelopment. Their efforts did cost the hospital money and time, and set the redevelopment back at least five years. Who can forget when that previous council brought in a highly-paid lawyer and a highly-paid PR consultant (both sole-sourced) to lecture the public as to why the hospital should not be allowed to … click below for more ↓

The Misogynist Bully Files for Deputy Mayor

Collingwood / Council / deception & secrecy / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Election 2022 / Hospital2 Comments

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Councillor Bob “Lapdog” Madigan — council’s most notable bully and misogynist — filed his papers for deputy mayor, a position for which he is supremely unqualified. Well, to be fair, he’s not really qualified for any council position, is he? In almost eight years in office, Madigan’s accomplishments have been… well, nothing. Aside, that is, from being a misogynist bully; showing disrespect for not only other councillors and the public but for the office itself; acting the clown; sucking on the public tit, voting as … click below for more ↓

Wilson Blames Council for Hospital Debacle, Brushes Off Saunderson

Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital / Saunderson's MPP campaignLeave a comment

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“I blame somewhat the local council,” said MPP Jim Wilson in this recent interview from the Peak FM about the continuing debacle of the hospital redevelopment. Well, so does most of this town. “We’ve not had a clear expression to Queen’s Park from the community, other than myself and Norah Holder, the President and CEO of the hospital, indicating that we don’t think you can use any of the old building. And that’s what we’ll spend the $15 million dollars on, that the Deputy Premier … click below for more ↓

Saunderson’s Job-Killing ICBL Continued

Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Ethics and behaviour / Financial follies / Hospital / Ineptitude and bungling / Planning & Policies / Publicity & Communications / Uncategorized6 Comments

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James Madison, one of the US’s Founding Fathers said that a government “…without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a tragedy or a farce, or perhaps both.” Sure reads like someone describing our own council and their refusal to listen to the public during their discussion on the recent interim control bylaw (ICBL) that killed growth, development, and jobs in Collingwood: both a farce and a tragedy.* Thomas Vincent, developer of the Balmoral Estates adult lifestyle community in … click below for more ↓

Let’s Play “Spread the Virus!”

Collingwood / Conflicts of Interest / Council / COVID-19 responses / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Entitlement / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital / Publicity & Communications / Saunderson's Vindictive Judicial Inquiry / Staff and administration2 Comments

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I see Collingwood Council wants the province to end the lockdown, but hasn’t said anything about improving public safety or accelerating the vaccinations if that happens. That suggests to me they are okay if the coronavirus spreads again, and strains our hospital’s already stretched capacity to deal with it. At least, that’s the message I got from the latest facepalm-worthy discussion and motion by council this week. As reported on CollingwoodToday: Collingwood council is demanding an explanation from the province for the local lockdown and … click below for more ↓

Enough B.S. (Brian Saunderson)

Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Entitlement / Hospital / Saunderson's Vindictive Judicial Inquiry3 Comments

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Yet another week has gone by and our mayor, Brian Saunderson, stubbornly refuses to do the right thing for the people of the town of Collingwood, and resign. He continues to pursue his personal political ambitions at the expense of both our taxpayers and the credibility of the office. Not to mention tarnishing the reputation of those on council and staff who refuse to stand up to him or call on him to resign. Resigning would be the honourable and ethical thing to do, but … click below for more ↓

Saunderson’s Role in Blocking the Hospital Redevelopment

Collingwood / Council / deception & secrecy / Development & Growth / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital / Planning & Policies6 Comments

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During the previous council’s four years (2014-18), I documented the aggressive efforts to stall the local hospital’s desperately-needed redevelopment by a group of those on council (aka The Block*). Every other municipality in the region enthusiastically supported the hospital’s plan; only this group on Collingwood council put up roadblocks. And they were significant roadblocks raised at great expense to the taxpayer. Collingwood council SHOULD have taken the lead to promote their own hospital, but couldn’t get past their self-importance. As a result of the former … click below for more ↓

My answers to SOS

Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Election 2018 / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital / Planning & Policies / Publicity & Communications / TaxesLeave a comment

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The following questions were sent to all candidates by the local citizen’s group, Save Our Shoreline (SOS). These are my answers, below. I have formatted my response for better online reading. The questions are in italics. 1.) In order of priority how would you rank the top five (5) priorities for the Town of Collingwood over the next 4 years? Financial sustainability. We cannot build, we cannot create, we cannot start new projects if we cannot afford them – and we have to keep the … click below for more ↓

My responses to residents: 2

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018 / HospitalLeave a comment

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NB: As a candidate for Deputy Mayor in the upcoming municipal election, I receive questions from residents about my stand on various issues and policies. I will post my responses here for everyone to read. My responses are in italics, below. Hi Ian, Where do you want the hospital to be built ? It’s not where *I* want the hospital built that matters – it’s where the hospital’s staff, consultants, planners and board identified as the best place after many months of surveying, studying and … click below for more ↓

Saunderson’s abject desperation

Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Election 2018 / Entitlement / HospitalLeave a comment

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I’m not sure whether I pity Brian Saunderson most for his lack of principles or for his lack of shame. Or maybe both. Desperation makes people do things that common sense would suggest won’t work. Monday we saw desperation replace both principle and shame when Saunderson made a motion to support the hospital at the end of the meeting. It was an abject, grovelling effort. Embarrassing to watch.* Brian Saunderson is, of course, desperate. He faces not one but two credible candidates for the position … click below for more ↓

Bullshit and hypocrisy again

Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital / Staff and administration / TaxesLeave a comment

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You have to hand it to our Deputy Mayor: for all his many, many faults, he does do two things remarkably well: hypocrisy and bullshit. Neither does he do in halfway measures. No, when he dons their mantle, he wears the emperor’s new clothes with pride, head to toe. At January 15’s council meeting, Brian took both bullshit and hypocrisy to stratospherically new levels. Astounding levels seldom seen outside today’s White House; truly breathtaking to see it here in our little town. More proof the … click below for more ↓

In camera, closed door meetings in Collingwood, 2015-17

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital / Planning & Policies / Publicity & Communications / Utilities: electricity and water7 Comments

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Using the agendas posted on the town’s website, I tallied up the number of Council’s in-camera meetings for three specific topics this term: Collus-PowerStream (including the share sale, shared services agreement, advice from Mark Rodger and board appointments); the hospital redevelopment, and the airport (including the request for a letter of intent and possible sale of the airport). There are several other items listed for in camera discussion that may be related to one or more of these, but since I could not pair them … click below for more ↓

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