(Queen’s Park) – In the following letter, Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop today issued yet another plea to Community and Social Services Minister Sandra Pupatello to meet with the families of Huronia Regional Centre residents. He also requested that the Minister establish 1,000 permanent beds for Ontario’s most vulnerable people with developmental disabilities.

Here is the text of the letter: “Recent local media reports state that this month, you will visit Huronia Regional Centre (HRC) in Orillia and meet with the families of its residents. However, it now appears that you plan to visit HRC, but will avoid a meeting with the families.

I am quite disturbed that you also told local media that you intend to proceed with the closure, even though you’ve yet to even visit the site. May I remind you again, Minister, that my colleagues John Baird and Brenda Elliott, the two previous Ministers, both visited HRC and both agreed not to make any specific plans to close it.

While I agree that people with developmental disabilities deserve the dignity of being re-integrated into the community, I am gravely concerned that the quality of care of HRC residents under these circumstances would be severely jeopardized, given their intense needs.

The previous closures of government-operated facilities in Ontario for people with developmental disabilities made sense. I shouldn’t need to tell you that the three remaining facilities are still open because they house people with much more complex needs that cannot be met in a regular group home setting.

That’s why it’s imperative that you visit HRC and meet with the families of its residents to see firsthand and fully understand the true impact of your cruel and insensitive decision to shut its doors forever.

Two local meetings have already been held with about 150 family members in attendance at each meeting. On both occasions, I was there, but you weren’t.

Minister, I urge you again to make sure that when you visit HRC, you make a point of meeting locally with affected families.

I also urge you again to reconsider your mean-spirited and ill-advised decision to close HRC, and to consider instead keeping 1,000 beds open in Ontario indefinitely for our most vulnerable people with developmental disabilities who require highly specialized care.

Minister, I assure you, that should you close HRC, you could be held personally liable for any deaths that may result from moving its residents to facilities that are ill equipped to provide the extreme level of care required. In fact, I would immediately call for a public inquiry into any and all such deaths.

I think I’ve made it abundantly clear how important it is for you to reverse your decision. I look forward to your response to this critical matter.”

Contacts:
Garfield Dunlop
(705) 327-4500 (cell)