Statement from Haldimand County regarding potential merger of Haldimand-Norfolk & Brant County Health Units

Background

In 2023, the Ministry of Health announced plans to strengthen the public health sector by offering one-time funding, resources and supports to local public health agencies that decide to voluntarily merge by January 1, 2025. Their goal is to better support communities through optimization of resources and better coordination of services.

The decisions of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) and Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) Boards of Health to pursue a potential merger were released publicly on Friday, April 26, 2024.

While a merger is voluntary at this point, municipalities have received clear indication that regionalization of Public Health Departments is a priority of this provincial government. If voluntary mergers are not considered, the potential for a merger to be imposed, and without the current funding, is a distinct possibility. This would bring Haldimand County back to the drawing board in terms of a revised governance model with direct Haldimand representation.

The decisions of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) and Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) Boards of Health to pursue a merger present a number of opportunities and benefits for Haldimand County and its residents.

These include:

• An enhanced ability to build upon and strengthen existing public health services with a focus on addressing health inequities;
• An opportunity for Haldimand to have direct representation on a new board of health;
• An opportunity to access dedicated Ministry funding through the transition, putting money directly back into local public health unit services and enhancing public health capacity;
• Responding to the request of Ministry to expand jurisdiction, in a responsible, manageable way; building on aligned services and existing synergies between Haldimand, Norfolk and Brant.

A number of options were considered beyond merging with Brant. A Joint Board Merger Working Group, including representatives from each health unit, worked with a consultant who facilitated a Feasibility Assessment Report to present various options and inform the Boards’ decision making.

Alternative options for Haldimand – including whether or not it was feasible to break apart from the existing Haldimand-Norfolk Board of Health and explore mergers with other neighbouring municipalities was considered – however, was not pursued for a variety of reasons, including lack of interest from these agencies.

Next steps are to submit a business case to the Province in consideration of this merger. No decision is final until authorized by the Ministry of Health. Council and the community will be kept informed about any changes as updates become available.

Quote from Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley:

“Access to high quality public health services is paramount to the overall well-being of our community and the opportunity to strengthen the critical services our residents depend on is very much welcomed. The potential for a merger between Haldimand, Norfolk and Brant speaks to the existing relationships between all agencies and common interest in providing responsive, accessible services that meet community needs. As both agencies work through next steps, Haldimand Council will continue to advocate for an independent voice within the governance model of a merged Board of Health to ensure the interests of Haldimand residents are heard and considered.” – Haldimand County Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley