Several municipalities in Leeds-Grenville and Lanark Counties are welcoming recent direction from the Southeast Public Board of Health that removes the proposed satellite office closures, including the Kemptville Public Health Office, from consideration for the immediate future. Instead, there is a focus on staffing and operational efficiencies.
The Board’s recent direction follows significant concern from municipalities after proposed satellite office closures were communicated publicly without prior notice to affected local governments. Municipal leaders have noted that earlier briefings indicated service levels and budgets would remain stable following amalgamation, making the sudden announcement of potential closures unexpected.
The issue was raised during a deputation to the Board of Health led by Warden Corinna Smith-Gatcke on behalf of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, with support from municipal leaders across the region.
“Four of seven proposed closures were within Lanark, Leeds, and Grenville Counties, and we are here to advocate for access, equity, and rural-urban considerations,” said Warden Smith-Gatcke.
“Public health units have supported countless seniors, youth, and low-income residents across the region who do not have access to transportation - and that’s why these offices are very critical.”
Mayor Peckford emphasized that North Grenville’s rapid growth makes local public health access essential.
“North Grenville is experiencing accelerated growth coming out of the pandemic,” said Mayor Peckford.
“We are adding hundreds of homes every year, and closing the physical public health space in Kemptville would have negative health impacts for our growing community.”
Support for maintaining local access has been echoed by municipal leaders across Eastern Ontario. Mayor Tory Deschamps has previously emphasized that growth communities cannot afford to lose front-line public health access.
“As our communities grow, the need for accessible public health services grows with them. Removing local access places real strain on families and risks leaving people behind,” said Mayor Deschamps.
Mayor Robin Jones, a member of the Board of Health and President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), has raised concerns regarding staff recommendations to close public health unit offices.
“As a member of the South East Transition Team (SETT) in 2024, we committed that there would be no reduction in services in rural areas, and that our goal was to enhance public health delivery. It was on this basis—and the assurance that there would be no additional costs—that municipalities supported the merger through resolutions passed in December 2024,” said Mayor Jones. “Further reinforcing this commitment, at the December 17, 2025 SEHU Board meeting, a motion was passed stating that no health unit office would be closed without the approval of the Board.”
Mayor Jones also reiterated her longstanding position on rural service delivery, stating:
“Public health works best when services are visible, reliable, and close to the people who depend on them—particularly youth and vulnerable residents.”
Christa Lowry, Mayor of Mississippi Mills and Chair of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA), has also highlighted the broader funding context facing rural public health systems.
“Rural municipalities are being asked to do more with less, and sustainable provincial funding is essential if we are serious about equitable public health access across Ontario,” said Mayor Lowry.
Mayor Peckford welcomed the Board’s decision to step back from clinic closures and reiterated North Grenville’s willingness to collaborate on sustainable solutions.
“North Grenville is ready to work constructively with Southeast Public Health to find solutions that protect access, respect rural realities, and support long-term sustainability,” she said.
The lack of advance consultation and clarity around impacts related to the proposal lead to this coordinated response from rural and growth municipalities, who called for a pause on the closures, for improved communication, and for a more transparent, evidence-based approach to rural public health service delivery.
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Media Contact, North Grenville
Julie DeBoer -
