Gananoque backtracks on Kingston hospital funding

In a dramatic reversal from previous commitments, Gananoque council has decided against providing long-term funding to University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF), instead approving a one-time $5,000 donation for the 2025 fiscal year.

The decision, made during Tuesday’s council meeting, marks a significant shift in the town’s approach to health-care contributions.

Initially, in December 2024, council had approved a two-year funding commitment of $75,000 annually – totalling $150,000 – to UHKF.

However, that decision was reconsidered last month, setting the stage for Tuesday’s vote, where council formally withdrew the pledge. Council ultimately landed on a compromise, rejecting the full funding request but agreeing to provide a small contribution through the town’s community grants program.

The move comes amid widespread concern over rising tax burdens on residents, with the proposed hospital funding increasing the 2025 tax levy from 8.97 per cent to 9.68 per cent – a difference of $21 per year for the median homeowner.

Mayor John Beddows and Couns Colin Brown, Matt Harper, Patrick Kirkby and David Osmond voted in favour of denying the funding but amending the motion to include the $5,000 donation.

Deputy Mayor Vicki Leakey and Coun. Anne-Marie Koiner were the only two in favour of maintaining the original $75,000 commitment.

"It is hard," said Leakey, after the decision was made. "The tax increase is high and I do understand where other councillors are coming from. I do not agree that we ignore provincial health-care shortfalls for equipment purchases."

Gananoque’s decision to withdraw the funding commitment comes after months of debate and public scrutiny.

In December 2023, council first rejected an annual contribution to the foundation, making Gananoque the only municipality in the region not to pledge ongoing financial support for Kingston hospitals. That decision drew criticism from residents, particularly during a public input session last October, where many urged council to reconsider.

“For many of you here, we’re your community hospital,” Dr. David Pichora, president and CEO of Kingston Health Sciences Centre, told residents at that meeting. “We’re the community hospital for a broader area, extending to Gananoque, Napanee, Westport, etc.”

Kingston’s hospitals serve thousands of Gananoque residents each year, with more than 15,000 visits recorded in 2023 alone. Since 2019, cancer treatment trips from Gananoque to Kingston Health Sciences Centre have risen by 30 per cent. Most surrounding municipalities – including Kingston, Brockville, Belleville, and Quinte West – have committed to annual funding.

Council’s hesitation largely stems from concerns about offloading health-care costs onto municipalities – an issue Mayor Beddows has repeatedly emphasized.

“Ultimately, this is the responsibility of the province,” Beddows said when defending the town’s position in previous discussions.

Gananoque’s struggle with the UHKF request highlights the growing financial pressures on small municipalities as they navigate rising costs and provincial health-care shortfalls.

Keith Dempsey is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Brockville Recorder and Times. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.