Clearview Council instructed its staff Monday night to submit an application for a grant under Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund, hoping the Township might receive $50,000 to put toward the expansion of the Creemore Medical Centre.
The grant, which has an application deadline of October 5, will provide “up to $50,000 per project to construct, renovate or retrofit buildings; modify vehicles for community use; or enhance information and communication technologies to make them more accessible.” At least 25 percent of the total eligible project costs must come from non-federal government sources.
In the Medical Centre’s case, the total cost of the expansion is predicted to be $450,000. The Medical Centre Board has pledged to raise $350,000 from the community, and Council has agreed to debenture $150,000 to cover the rest of the cost plus $50,000 in contingency. Should the grant application be successful, the funding would alleviate some of these costs.
Accessibility upgrades planned for the Medical Centre include a chair lift to access the lower level, two automatic door openers and a reconstructed ramp/sidewalk/handrail at the entrance of the building.
In other Medical Centre expansion news, Board chair Bill Mann made a presentation to Mulmur Council two weeks ago, bringing that body up to date on Clearview’s plans for the facility and asking that Mulmur consider making a financial contribution to the project.
Market research completed by the Board during the expansion’s planning stages showed that one third of the Centre’s patients hail from Mulmur Township. “Indeed, it is as much Mulmur’s medical centre as it is Clearview’s medical centre,” Mann told the Council members.
At the end of his presentation, he requested three things of Mulmur Township: conceptual support for the project in the form of a letter of support to accompany the grant application; a contribution toward the construction costs of the facility; and a financial contribution. Mann suggested $30,000 as a possible amount.
Mulmur Council received Mann’s presentation as an information item and promised to discuss the matter at its next meeting.
