County council heard from a large number of supporters for a regional transit service soon after councillors heard from Roger Cook of Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit (SMART) system on March 31.
At its April administration, finance, and personnel committee meeting, committee members received a number of letters, and those were passed on to county council.
Andrea Parsons, the president of Saugeen Valley Nurs-ing Centre in Mount Forest, wrote the service is beneficial for seniors living at home.
She added, “The benefit of this service is perhaps even more valuable for the seniors residing at Saugeen Valley Nursing Centre since they require an enhanced level of specialized care.”
Jerome Quenneville, president and chief executive officer of Wellington North Health Care, stated in a letter directed to Wellington North Township and forwarded to the county, “We have often had underlined for us that this is a major obstacle to care and basic accessibility for residents in our area as hospital with presence in Palmerston, Mount Forest and Centre Wellington and serving a large rural population.”
He encouraged supporting the move to bring SMART into the county.
“The service is a much needed requirement for the residents of Carressant Care, Arthur nursing and retirement home,” wrote regional manager Mary-Therese Haid.
Suzanne Trivers, the executive director of the Mount Forest Family Health Team sent a letter to county councillor Gary Williamson, who has promoted the idea of using SMART in Wellington County, and to county council.
Trivers wrote, “As you know, access to health care service is a significant issue for our rural communities. One of the main barriers to timely access is appropriate transportation at a reasonable cost.”
Cook had explained to county council in March the transit service is run by municipalities and is offered only to the residents whose municipalities pay for it.
County council is considering a way to accommodate residents by joining the transportation group, and is working on the details.
There has been discussions it could be started in the northern parts of the county, including Mapleton, and gradually expanding from there to the rest of Wellington
County council accepted the letters for information.
