Statement from Haldimand County regarding merger of Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit and Brant County Health Unit

The Ministry of Health has approved a merger of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) and Brant County Heath Unit (BCHU) in an effort to enhance public health capacity. The new entity will be known as Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) and will take effect as of January 1, 2025. There will be no immediate impact to Health Unit programs or services for Haldimand County residents. 

In 2023, the provincial government announced a series of new measures to strengthen public health services by providing resources and support – including funding – to facilitate voluntary mergers in an effort to better support communities. Earlier this year, the HNHU Board of Health decided to pursue a merger with the BCHU.  Council unanimously supported this decision , understanding the benefits a voluntary merger would provide. These include, but are not limited to, maintaining and improving critical public health services for residents and having a voice at the new Board of Health governance table.  

Since 2001, when the province designated Norfolk County as the Board of Health for both municipalities, Haldimand has had concerns about its lack of representation within the governance model. Currently, the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit’s 2024 operating budget sits at $3.4 million, with Haldimand contributing $1.4 million. While Haldimand is grateful that the Board has considered Haldimand’s position on many issues over the years, the merger is an important step in allowing Haldimand to have a dedicated voice at the table with respect to a service of this financial magnitude, allowing Haldimand to better advocate for resident needs when it comes to making important public health-related decisions.

The merger will take place over the next several months and a Board of Health transition committee has been established to work through logistics of the merger.

“I am very pleased to see this voluntary merger moving forward. For over two decades our communities have been under-represented on the Board of Health and the opportunity to have a direct voice in shaping public health-related decisions is long overdue. I am hopeful that by bringing in diverse perspectives and strengthening partnerships across the region we’ll see more responsive, impactful public health services for our residents,” stated Haldimand County Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley.

“Council’s decision to support a voluntary health unit merger takes into account the longstanding challenges associated with the current public health governance model while benefitting from the fact that the merger will be fully funded by the province. I am confident that this merger will strengthen and enhance the excellent programs that are already in place and so vital to our community’s well-being,” noted Cathy Case, CAO. 

More details regarding the merger will be shared on the Haldimand website as they become available.