The Kenora District Services Board has been forced to go back to the drawing board and look at different options for a new EMS Land Ambulance Base in Pickle Lake.
Provincial funding isn’t being made available to build a new and badly needed facility and now the Board is looking at a scaled down version.
Under the current model the province pays half the cost of EMS bases but municipalities have to cover the capital costs up front.
Chief Administrative Officer Henry Wall notes the cost to build is substantially different than building a base in southern Ontario.
Wall stresses “We know we need a new base. We can not continue on with the space that we have.”
The KDSB leases the current base from the Township.
Wall says the new model would have to include a housing component.
“To make it easier for paramedics who are coming into the community, working at the base, to have a place that is safe, that’s comfortable and will meet our needs for the community with respect to having staff being on-call.”
Options for housing include installing a modular home at the property or renting space in the community.
Wall notes future planning will have to leave room for possible expansion down the road.
“Also looking at the anticipated changes in growth for the region with the anticipation of an all-season road being extended past Pickle Lake into the far north and have it project what kind of impact that will have on the service in the community.”
To hear more from Henry Wall, visit the Audio link below.
