As things stand, Provincial Funding for RC-VTAC is slated to expire on March 31st, but local efforts to save what is widely-recognized as a critical component of the local health care system are ramping up.
The County of Renfrew has voted to fund VTAC through the month of April from its own reserves to give Queen’s Park the necessary window it needs to change its mind.
The Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke Provincial Riding Association is hoping to unite residents in signing what is essentially a non-partisan petition to save the service, according to constituency president, Dez Bair-Patel.
Bair-Patel says residents in Pembroke are being approached in a door-to-door visit Thursday evening, March 23rd.
The NDP constituency president says they’ll recruit anyone interested in circulating the petition, regardless of political affiliation, to help out.
Bair-Patel says the petition will conform to legislative requirements of name, signature address and phone so that residents can use the democratic instrument to express their opinion on saving the VTAC service.
By Rick Stow
