By Cecilia Nasmith
Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander appealed to those around the table at the October meeting of Northumberland County council for support of a motion Brighton council put forward last month for the protection of our men and women in the military.
The municipality's position next door to Trenton and Canada's largest Air Force Base – 8 Wing Trenton – means a significant contingent of military families and military members not only live in Brighton but also end up retiring there, Ostrander said.
As long as they are active in the military, their health-care needs are seen to by the military, he pointed out. But when they retire, they have no primary health-care provider. And they are not able to register with Healthcare Connect to remedy that situation until they are released from service.
As members of the military know in advance when their release date will be, Ostrander said, they are asking the province to permit these men and women to register with Healthcare Connect in advance of that date to decrease the likelihood of a gap in care that might otherwise occur.
This becomes increasingly significant, he added, when one considers that retiring members of the military often have significant health issues and mental-health concerns.
“It is appropriate that these people have access – as we all should – to primary health care,” Ostrander said.
Councillor Bob Sanderson immediately made the motion to support Brighton's appeal to the province, and county council passed it.
Brighton's motion, which the municipality passed on Sept. 6, has been distributed to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Health, Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini, all Ontario municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for endorsement.
