West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles has apologized for recent comments he made threatening to put his hands on the throat of South Bruce Grey Health Centre President and CEO Nancy Shaw.
“One statement that I put out there verbally has been that I told the CEO and President of South Bruce Grey association (sic) to keep her hands off the Durham hospital and I’ll promise to keep my hands off of your throat,” said Eccles during a meeting.
Eccles made the comments at a special meeting of West Grey council held on April 30 during discussion about South Bruce Grey Health Centre (the hospital corporation that runs hospitals in Chesley, Durham, Kincardine and Walkerton) plans to transfer 10 in-patient beds from the Durham Hospital in West Grey to hospitals in Walkerton and Kincardine. This would leave Durham hospital open only as an ER during the day, but closed in the evening and without any in-patient beds.
The comments prompted a written condemnation from Jim Bagshaw, the board chair for the hospital corporation.
“Your comments are completely unacceptable. At South Bruce Grey Health Centre, we have and will continue to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for any words or actions that constitute violence, intimidation or harassment," Bagshaw said in his letter.
“You are a leader in this community and inciting violence, appearing to incite or condoning violence will only cause further division and harm. I am requesting you formally apologize to our President and CEO about whom this threat was made.”
Bagstaff’s letter to Eccles was copied to local MPPs, West Grey’s CAO Kerri Mighton and all Grey and Bruce municipalities.
The letter appeared on the consent agenda for Grey County council’s meeting on May 9. Eccles lifted the letter from the consent agenda for further discussion.
“I said some words previously that I have apologized for,” Eccles said. “We need to be respectful in this battle.”
Eccles spoke to the issue twice, first during the council portion of the meeting and then later when the letter was discussed during committee of the whole. On both occasions, he referenced that he had apologized for his comments.
In an interview after the meeting, Eccles said he had apologized in writing.
“I have apologized for my statements,” he said.
The fate of Durham hospital continues to be a serious concern for county council. At the meeting, council voted to request an immediate meeting with Minister of Health Sylvia Jones at Queen’s Park to discuss the situation.
On April 24, South Bruce Grey Health Centre announced the beds in Durham would be transferred to the other two hospitals by June. The corporation said the transfer of the beds was to address an ongoing staffing and nursing shortage. The emergency department in Durham remains open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and Shaw told local media there are no plans to close the hospital.
“We are committed to keeping the Durham site open and providing care at that site to the community. Patients in need of urgent medical attention can continue to access the Durham site daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” the hospital corporation said in a May 3 statement in response to community concerns about the bed announcement.
“We will continue to work with both the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health to ensure all South Bruce Grey Health Centre sites continue to provide care to our communities.”
The hospital corporation will host a community webinar about the situation on Tuesday, May 11 at 11 a.m. More information about the virtual meeting can be found here.
Grey County Warden Brian Milne said the county was “blindsided” by the bed announcement and has serious concerns about the situation.
The county operates the Rockwood Terrace long-term care home and a paramedic station in Durham. Recently, the county approved a $91-million project – its largest capital project to date – to build a replacement Rockwood Terrace facility in Durham with 128 beds instead of the current 100.
“At least from a county perspective, there was zero consultation. And to get blindsided with something like that, that’s going to have a huge impact on the community is very disappointing,” Milne told CollingwoodToday on April 25.
