TIMMINS - The province has signed off on the voluntary merger of two Northern health units.
When the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) and Timiskaming Health Unit (THU) join forces on Jan. 1, it will be known as Northeastern Public Health. The PHU announced on Friday (Dec. 6) that the province has officially approved the merger.
"Our shared community partnerships and established working relationships between our various teams will continue to grow stronger as we become one public health agency. As well, our similar population characteristics and culture in this northeastern region will facilitate the integration of programs and services," said PHU medical officer of health Dr. Lianne Catton in a news release.
THU acting medical officer of health Dr. Glenn Corneil said the merger builds on the strengths of each organization.
"By merging, we establish a critical mass and will have increased capacity to deliver programs and services across the region," he said in a statement.
TimminsToday reached out to the THU and did not receive a response. The Porcupine Health Unit declined requests for an interview and inquiries regarding staffing and costs were also left unanswered.
In the Dec. 6 news release, the organization said that services and office locations will stay the same when the new health unit takes effect on Jan. 1.
"Throughout this process, PHU and THU will continue to engage with the public, community," reads the statement.
The new board of health will consist of municipal representatives from communities across the merged health unit's expansive service area, which spans a large portion of northeastern Ontario.
In total, 38 municipalities are involved in the merger, though some regions will share seats due to the large geographic scope.
There will be three appointees from Timmins, two from Temiskaming Shores, one each from Kapuskasing, Kirkland Lake and Cochrane/Smooth Rock Falls and representatives for various rural areas, including “rural north, central north, central south, south and far north.”
Municipalities have been asked to name the 13 appointees for the new board of health by next Friday (Dec. 13).
So far, the following individuals have been named as members:
- Timmins – Mayor Michelle Boileau, Ward 5 Coun. Andrew Marks and Ward 4 Coun. John Curley
- Temiskaming Shores – Mayor Jeff Laferriere and Coun. Mark Wilson
- Iroquois Falls – Mayor Tory Delaurier representing Iroquois Falls and Black River-Matheson
- Cochrane – Mayor Peter Politis representing Cochrane and Smooth Rock Falls for the next two years
- Kapuskasing – Coun. Gary Fortin
- Kirkland Lake – Coun. Casey Owens
The first meeting of the new board of health is scheduled for Jan. 1, 2025.
Since the merger was announced, few details have been shared publicly about the changes.
Timmins is the largest municipality in the region and will have fewer seats at the new board table. Right now it has four people on the 12-member PHU board. Under the new 13-member board, it will have three representatives.
At the council meeting, members shared their concerns about the decrease in representation, which they say has residents feeling frustrated and underrepresented.
Cochrane Mayor Peter Politis praised the collaboration between the two health units.
“Our emphasis as a participant in the board discussions and merger development during this initiative has always been to focus on improving public health and ensuring our constituents receive the highest standard of public health care,” he said.
“Our board has taken a highly engaged approach to defining the new service and I’m comforted by the level of candour and openness that was undertaken together during the defining of possibilities.”
On the flip side, Politis also acknowledged concerns about broader representation due to the larger geographic scope of the new board of health’s overage area.
“While we have some of the usual concerns around new directions and larger area representation, we remain confident in the new health unit, the amazing workforce, the sound leadership, and the engaged board to achieve the even better standard of service being sought on behalf of the public whom we all serve,” he said.
The announcement regarding the voluntary merger was made last August. It was in the wake of the province saying it's offering cash and support to health units that voluntarily merge.
SEE: Health unit merger could be as soon as 2024
RELATED: You may not hear details of the health unit merger at Timmins council
Back in 2019, in an effort to reduce the number of public health units in Ontario, the Ford government announced plans to reduce the number of public health units from 35 to 10.
The Porcupine Health Unit coverage area includes the Cochrane district and Town of Hornepayne. It has offices in Cochrane, Hearst, Hornepayne, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Matheson, Moosonee, and Smooth Rock Falls, with the main office being in Timmins.
The Timiskaming Health Unit has offices in New Liskeard, Kirkland Lake and Englehart.