Grey County saw some developments in terms addressing healthcare and environmental issues in 2022, and it’s welcoming newcomers in 2023.
County Warden and Southgate Mayor Brian Milne says one thing that was particularly noteworthy in his mind, for Grey County was the opening of the nursing wing at Georgian College in Owen Sound.
“They can now grant degrees for nursing students and the county contributed $1 million to the retrofit of that space,” says Milne.
He adds, “People talk about healthcare challenges and so on, and the question is asked and quite rightly so, —-‘so what are you doing?’
“I think that the fact the County stepped up and contributed significant dollars to that program will in time, bear really good fruit for healthcare in Grey County and the region,” says Milne.
He adds, the County has also taken some steps to address climate change, noting, “The County of Grey actually stepped up and charted a plan to reach net zero emissions by 2045.” The plan is called Going Green In Grey.
Milne says the plan includes considerations like the use of electric vehicles, more tree planting and other measures to be taken to reduce emissions. “Putting that lens on everything we do as to how it impacts the environment,” says Milne, is how the County plans to move forward.
He says another highlight is the addition of an Indigenous Advisory Circle at Grey Roots, “To advise on any and all projects that are related to our indigenous communities. I think that’s a really notable achievement as well.”
Milne also highlighted the work of the transportation department, saying, “They continue to work diligently to provide safe and efficient means of travel, whether that’s roads, whether that’s bridges– all kinds of structures and they continue to do a really good job for us so that we can all get to where we need to be safely and efficiently.”
Like other communities, and levels of government, Grey County faced challenges in 2022. Milne says, “One that continues to compound so to speak, is our challenge of staffing in many of our departments and we’re certainly not alone in that respect.” Milne says it’s most acutely felt in the County’s long-term care facilities, but it’s also harder to find people to drive snowplows.
“There just doesn’t seem to be enough folks to go around for the demand for services of products,” says Milne, noting Grey County has a lot of competition, “People can work from the other side of the planet literally nowadays. We’ve all learned that through the pandemic.”
He says the demand for housing from people who are unhoused continues to rise. “We house on average, around 40 people per night in emergency housing and that will continue to rise undoubtedly.” He says the county has purchased and is renovating a building into transitional housing. “The key to helping people get stability in their lives is housing. You need to get them into a safe housing situation before you can start to address some of the other issues going on in their lives.”
Looking ahead, Milne says council has had a 50 per cent turnover at the council table as a result of the recent municipal election. “Many of them have extensive knowledge at the lower tiers and that experience will do them well at the county. I’m excited with the group we have. They’re a great group I think to work with and there are going to be great things coming down the pipe.”
Milne says, “There’s going to be a a need and I think it will continue to be amplified– a need for the lower tiers to work more closely together, either amongst themselves or in tandem with the county to provide services and provide efficiencies, because at the end of the day there’s only one taxpayer, and we all need to work together to make the best use of those taxes.”
He adds, “I’m excited to see new people coming to the county. the pandemic has introduced a lot of new people to the county and what we have here to offer in terms of a community and living and with those people come new ideas, new energy and that’s never a bad thing.”