Major expansion for Community Paramedic Program: The Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Program is being significantly expanded in Leeds and Grenville.
“We will now have two vehicles staffed every day, seven days a week,” said Leeds Grenville Paramedic Service Chief, Jeff Carss. At present, the service is offered one day per week for 12 hours. The plan, which is expected to be up and running later this spring, has been approved by the Joint Services Committee. Services will include home visits, including certain diagnostic procedures and treatments, remote patient monitoring, and home assessments, to name a few.
Two Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) will be used to operate the program, which will also mean an increase in paramedic staffing to four full-time equivalents. Community paramedic programs have reduced the number of costly 911 calls, avoidable emergency room hospital visits, and provided additional supports and connections for high risk or vulnerable individuals. Community paramedicine is a model of community-based health care, where paramedics use their education and expertise in community-based, non-emergency care roles outside their emergency response, and ambulance transport roles.
Last fall, the province announced the Ministry of Long-Term Care was expanding the program. Leeds and Grenville was selected to be part of that expansion. The Ministry is funding the program to provide services to individuals who are waiting for placement in long-term care facilities or who are soon eligible for long-term care.
Leeds Grenville Paramedic Service is looking for a suitable location to be a paramedic post, a facility with a garage bay area where the ERV can be parked and protected, as well as a crew area. For more information contact Paramedic Chief Jeff Carss at 613-342-3840, ext. 2404.
Planning Department reports increased activity: New applications for subdivisions and consent applications for new lots were steady last year, a summary report for 2020 shows. By the end of the year, there were 22 subdivision application files open throughout the Counties. Of those applications, 14 have received draft plan approval for a potential 1,119 residential units. Another eight applications are in process, with applicants working toward draft plan approval.
Over and above these applications, the Counties received four new subdivision applications, and draft approved three plans, and amended one subdivision plan. Six draft plans of subdivision were given more time to fulfil their conditions of draft plan approval. Two were given final approval in North Grenville.
New applications were received for development plans in Westport, Merrickville-Wolford, and the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands. Draft plan approvals were given to applicants in Merrickville-Wolford and North Grenville.
A high number of consent applications, whether to create a new lot, to add land to an existing lot, or create an easement / right of way, were submitted in 2020. There was a total of 159 applications, the highest number received since 2011. Planning staff also noticed an increase in the number of inquiries in the second half of 2020 for consents, possibly due to high land prices, increased demand for new lots, or economic circumstances as a result of COVID-19.
Over the past five years, there have been 597 consent applications. Approximately 60% have been to create new lots. The remaining 40% have been for lot additions and easements / right of way.
Upcoming meetings: The Committee of the Whole meeting is on Tuesday March 9; the Joint Services Committee on Wednesday, March 10; Counties Council on Thursday, March 25. All regular meetings begin at 9 a.m. in the Council Chambers at 25 Central Avenue, Brockville. For more information, contact County Clerk Lesley Todd at 613-342-3840, ext. 2454.
