North Grenville, ON - Serious objections from Mayor Nancy Peckford of North Grenville and Mayor Tory Deschamps of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal, along with strong community concern, have resulted in a formal response at the regional level: at its November 26 meeting, the Board of Health for Southeast Public Health carried the motion:

• “That the Medical Officer of Health withdraws his recommendations to close the eight satellite offices at this time.”
• “That staff provide an initial report back and discussion in December.”  

Mayor Peckford stated: “As Mayors, we have jointly raised significant concerns about this closure. The loss of access to essential public health services directly contradicts the assurances given during the Health Unit merger process last year. The Kemptville Health Unit, and other satellite offices, have played an integral role in providing access to essential health services. It would represent an enormous loss for not just the Municipality of North Grenville, but the region as a whole if the Kemptville Health Unit was closed. Mobile services cannot replace what will be lost.”

Mayor Deschamps added "From the outset of the merger process, we consistently raised concerns about whether rural communities would continue to receive the services they need and whether their voices would be heard. We were assured this would happen. Yet this proposal, the pace and lack of transparency at which it has emerged, underscores why our concerns were valid. Decisions of this magnitude require meaningful consultation, genuine engagement, and a clear understanding of rural realities before any sweeping changes are considered. Consultation first, because our rural voices matter."

The Kemptville Health Unit provides a broad array of indispensable public health services, including:

• Disease prevention programs and local surveillance
• Speech and language services for young children
• Harm-reduction programming
• Smoking and tobacco cessation supports
• Breastfeeding support clinics
• Vaccinations and immunizations
• Sexual health clinics
• Health promotion and education in all local schools
• Accessibility-focused supports for residents with mobility, transportation, or financial barriers
• Environmental health inspections (food premises, recreational water, personal service settings)
• Bacteriological testing for thousands of privately owned rural wells

We recognize the immense value of having public health nurses, and other public health speech professionals, serving families, seniors, rural households, newcomers, and other vulnerable residents across the region. 

As one of Eastern Ontario’s fastest-growing municipalities, North Grenville has long understood that reducing local public health capacity would create significant barriers for residents throughout the region who rely on accessible, timely services close to home.

While the Southeast Health Board’s decision is a welcome and necessary pause, Mayor Peckford emphasized that continued engagement and feedback is essential as the Board begins its review.

“We appreciate Mayor Robin Jones advocacy for the retention of rural offices, as she sits on the Southeast Health Unit Board as the key representative for the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville,” added Mayors Peckford and Deschamps. “She understands rural Ontario and the realities of our residents.”

North Grenville remains committed to collaborating closely with SEPH and regional partners to ensure any future decisions on public health service delivery are transparent, evidence-based, and responsive to community needs.

Link to the full letter of opposition.

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Media Contact/For more Information:
Nancy Peckford, Mayor - 613-875-3971; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Julie DeBoer; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 

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