GREENS DEPUTY-LEADER RICHTER TO LEAD MARCH AND SPEAK AT SUNDAY’S ‘EXTREMELY IMPORTANT’ RALLY FOR SOUTH MUSKOKA HOSPITAL

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SOUTH MUSKOKA — A march down main street Bracebridge Sunday afternoon will coincide with a rally by the Save South Muskoka Hospital committee.

Ontario Green Party co-deputy leader Matt Green has been invited to speak at Memorial Park at 1 p.m. after meeting at 12:45 p.m. outside MPP Graydon Smith’s Manitoba Street office a few blocks north.

Richter narrowly lost to Smith in the last provincial election.

SSMH is organizing its second “major rally” after hundreds showed up at the same park in May.

“Please come and listen to our guest speakers, and the residents of south Muskoka regarding Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MACH), redevelopment plan for south and north Muskoka,” says member Lorraine Etler.

“This is an extremely important community event, so we hope you will attend.”

For further information, go to their website at www.ssmh.ca.

As of May 8 they became a registered not-for-profit corporation.

Lorraine Etler, a SSMH member, calls Sunday’s meeting “extremely important” to the survival of South Muskoka Memorial Hospital. She’s been out promoting their second rally at Memorial Park in Bracebridge and says there has to be a “huge crowd to save our hospital.”

Etler says in a release this week: “Our group is deeply concerned about the reduction in vital services being proposed for South Muskoka Memorial Hospital, and was formed to bring together community members, to take all necessary steps to protect our hospital from a significant reduction in services.”

Arleigh Luckett, past president of the Parry Sound-Muskoka Green riding association, says in her message to party members: “Let’s show up to support Matt’s message that Doug Ford must keep his 2022 election promise for two well-funded acute care hospitals in Muskoka.

“We’ll meet at the bench in front of Graydon Smith’s office (230 Manitoba St.) at 12:45 and walk to the rally at Memorial Park together. Wear your green!

“Please focus your sign on provincial action with slogans such as:

‘Doug Ford Keep your promise;’ ‘Support two full service hospitals;’ ‘Beds Before Booze;’

‘Healthcare Before Highways.’”

She adds: “It serves Doug Ford’s agenda well for local communities to be squabbling over how to divide a pie that is simply too small. We must not play that game.”

 

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