The MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex is looking back fondly on a year that has had its share of ups and downs.
While the Chatham-Kent community has seen a challenging year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, MPP and Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said he is very proud of the accomplishments that have been made locally in spite of the hardship.
“I think of the announcement at the Wallaceburg hospital — to finally deliver a brand new hospital for the people of Wallaceburg that is going to serve families for generations to come,” he said.
McNaughton announced at the beginning of December that the Wallaceburg site of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is currently starting the planning and costing phase of a massive revitalization project. The redevelopment will see additional buildings built on the grounds for a new Emergency Department, medical beds, Diagnostic Imaging department, and a laboratory. The project will also see the completion of the hospital’s $8.1 million replacement power plant in early 2022.
Coming to the end of the year, McNaughton added that he is also pleased with the work he has done with the province in attracting more young people to the skilled trades.
Moving forward into 2022, McNaughton said he is looking forward to continuing the work expanding access to broadband across rural Ontario, including in municipalities like Chatham-Kent.
“There’s a number of projects with shovels in the ground now to get broadband to people that never had access before,” he said. “This is really important to grow our farming businesses and small businesses, also just to make life easier for people.”
TekSavvy Solutions broke ground on a fibre-optic project in Chatham-Kent in May 2021 that is expected to bring high-speed internet access to more than 500 homes and businesses within the municipality.
