The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge district health unit (HKPR) is moving ahead with a voluntary merger with Peterborough Public Health effective Jan. 1, 2025, with the Ontario government committing $10.1 million to support the partnership.
HKPR board members voted 5-2 in favour of the merger Dec. 6. Highlands East deputy mayor Cec Ryall, the County representative on the HKPR board, feels the move was inevitable given the health unit’s precarious financial situation.
“We were in a position where we had to make a choice between a rock and a hard place… I’m truly concerned there wouldn’t have been enough resources to keep HKPR functioning as it should. Where would we be in 2025, 2026, or 2027? If you think we can live on a one per cent increase, with the cost of living as it is right now, it’s just not feasible. It can’t be done… without service reductions or massive increases to municipalities.”
During 2025 budget deliberations last month, Dr. Natalie Bocking, HKPR medical officer of health, said the health unit is projecting to finish the 2024/25 fiscal year with a $188,476 shortfall. She said funding increases from the Ministry of Health, capped at one per cent for the next three years, aren’t enough to maintain current service levels.
When pushed by Ryall on how the health unit would navigate such minor funding improvements in the face of increased cost of living and new contracts for unionized staff, Bocking admitted it would be problematic.
“It means our total budget will stagnate… our headcount will slowly go down. It will impact our ability to provide the same level of programs and services,” she said.
The health unit has culled six full-time positions over the past three years due to budget issues. Bocking earned $327,346 in 2023.
Bocking said the province has committed $10,129,450 to HKPR and PPH to cover all merger-related expenses during the 2025/26 fiscal year. Money can also be used for capital improvements and program stabilization. She said that will help cover pressures in areas such as nutrition, student/school health, and the vaccine and preventable diseases program.
Bocking recommended joining with PPH, as she did in February when the HKPR board initially supported the merger.
“My opinion is rooted in what I believe will provide the best level of public health capacity to our residents,” Bocking said.
Ryall voted alongside Dan Joyce, Bob Crate, John Logel and Olena Hankivsky in approving the merger, with Tracy Richardson – Kawartha Lakes’ deputy mayor – and David Marshall against, saying there’s “too much uncertainty.”
HKPR communications lead, Ashley Beaulac, said a new organizational structure and leadership team for the merged units will be announced in the new year. Both Bocking and Dr. Thomas Piggot, PPH medical officer of health (who made $302,532 in 2023), indicated a willingness to work within the new structure when the merger was proposed in February. Both units will remain functional, with no immediate impact on programs and services, Beaulac said.
A combined 2025 budget will be prepared once the new board meets.
What does it all mean?
Ryall said most people won’t notice much of a difference once the merger is finalized in the new year.
“It’s being done more so for the infrastructure and to have more resources to perform what we’re already doing now. There’s going to be a lot of people thinking this is not a good idea… but our public health units are in trouble,” Ryall said.
He said a new name and brand will be unveiled early in the new year, while he also expects the new unit will establish its headquarters closer to Haliburton County. The HKPR head office is in Port Hope, with satellite offices in Lindsay and Haliburton.
Public health units deliver a wide range of services to the public including immunization clinics, early childhood programs, sexual health clinics, water quality testing, and food and nutrition training, while offering support in mental health, harm reduction, pregnancy and parenting.
A conjoined board of HKPR and PPH will include nine municipal representatives – one from the County, two from Northumberland, two from Kawartha Lakes, two from Peterborough County, and two from the City of Peterborough. There will also be one sitting member from Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.
He admitted “it’s a bit of an unknown” working with new faces from PPH, but Ryall is clinging to hope that this merger will be a positive for all involved.
“At the very least, we hope this will stop service reductions and staffing issues… I’m very optimistic we’re going to come out of this as a better unit. I think the people of Haliburton County will be better off,” Ryall said. “People are going to have to be patient – the merger won’t happen instantaneously. How much will be visible in the first quarter? It’s hard to say. But I’m sure by the end of 2025, you’ll start to see the external changes. The big thing we have to do is get staff reorganized… so everyone is ready to hit the ground running.”
