The Wasaga Beach Walk In Clinic's one year pilot project comes to an end on November 19. Your town council may close the clinic without notice any time after that date. The cost savings associated with closing the clinic are already included in the first draft of the 2020 municipal budget.
We believe Council should extend the pilot project until such time as they have a concrete proposal in place to ensure the doors remain open.
It took nearly 4 years to bring make our clinic a reality. It’s a lot harder than you might imagine, with so many players involved at all levels, but in November 2018, council approved a one year pilot project to fund the clinic, at an approximate cost of one hundred and seventy thousand dollars. The clinic was, and continues to be, an outstanding success. In fact, we are turning people away in droves. This funding program ceases on November 19 of this year and your council has yet to present a viable plan to keep it open. The money saved by closing the clinic has already been inserted as a “recovery item” in the 2020 first draft budget.
Our old arena continues to be subsidized well over two hundred thousand dollars. Our transit system is subsidized to the tune of nearly one million dollars. We would not close our arena, and we would not pull the transit buses off the road. They provide important and essential resources for some of our neediest citizens. So why would we dither about funding our clinic until such time as a solution is in hand? The funding for the clinic pilot MUST remain in place. To that end the WBRA has begun an intensive public education program, and has started an on line petition which currently has more than 2500 signatures. As caring taxpayers, YOU can help us to win this fight. Sign the petition and tell your neighbors. We will NOT stand to see our clinic closed.
It would be irresponsible and short sighted to do otherwise. Please do not close our clinic.