Grassroots group wants Queens Park to move forward with mega hospital

A grassroots group in Windsor Essex, 42 Forward, has written the Ontario Minister of Health and Long Term Care to expedite the funding for the planned mega hospital on County Road 42.

Since recent appeals to the local planning tribunal were dismissed, the group wants those interested in speeding up the hospital plans to sign and share their online petition. 

Spokesperson Joe McParland said many people support the project and he hopes Queen’s Park takes notice.

“We have some of the greatest medical practitioners, doctors, nurses and support staff,” said McParland. “They’re practicing 20th century medicine in 19th century facilities and now we’re in the 21st century and things haven’t changed.”

McParland said he understands there are a number of groups that don’t want the hospital, but being a downtown resident didn’t deter his opinion that there is a strong need for an updated hospital out of town.

“In all of Windsor, this is probably the best location possible for the hospital,” said McParland. “It meets not only the needs of Windsorites, but the region which includes Essex County and a catchment area that sometimes will include people up to Sarnia and Chatham.”

McParland said  Windsor is not like the GTA where everything takes more than half an hour to drive to. 42 Forward believes we need this mega hospital sooner rather than later.

“So we said, we need to get Queen’s Park to know that there ARE a lot of people who want this,” said McParland. “We want it to be very clear that we’re not anti-anything, there are groups that don’t want the hospital, I respect their opinion, all I ask them to do is respect our opinion, that yes, we want it built.”