FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2006
McGuinty Liberals
forced to slow plans for three regional centres
TORONTO: The lack of
available community alternatives has forced the Liberal
government to slow its plans for layoffs at the three
regional centres for people with developmental disabilities.
The cancellation of the
latest round of layoffs is good news for residents and their
guardians, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says.
“This is a tough time for our members, and the people they
serve, but this announcement has given us renewed hope,”
said OPSEU President Leah Casselman.
“I want to thank the local
executives, the Ministry Enforcement and Renewal Committee (MERC)
and the families, for their continued fight to keep these
centres open,” she said.
The Ministry of Community and
Social Services has said it wants to close the three
remaining regional centres - Rideau Regional Centre in
Smiths Falls, Huronia Regional Centre in Orillia, and
Southwestern Regional Centre in Blenheim by 2009.
“Any residents still living
in regional centres are among the most vulnerable and
hard-to-serve special-needs individuals in the province,”
said Roxanne Barnes, union spokesperson for the COMSOC
Ministry.
OPSEU continues its campaign
to have the regional centres transformed to Centres of
Excellence. “We’ll keep fighting against these closures
because we believe it is wrong to force people, often with
severe disabilities, to leave the only homes they have
known,” said Barnes.
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Further information:
Roxanne Barnes, OPSEU
COMSOC ministry spokesperson 705-742-8985
