Written By Aina DeViet, Middlesex County 2024 Warden
This past year has been a busy one at Middlesex County (MC) including exciting economic development projects, funding for delivering new services, as well as new ways of delivering existing services!
Two notable examples of new economic development investment include Norbec and Ontario Plants Propagation, which together invested about $120 million in MC. In mid-September, Norbec, a leading North American manufacturer of insulated metal panels, walk-in coolers and freezers, held the grand opening of their $45 million state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Strathroy-Caradoc. The result for the local workforce is 70 new, meaningful jobs! In Southwest Middlesex, Ontario Plants Propagation, a leading producer of young plants for greenhouse growers, unveiled plans to invest an estimated $75 million starting with a remarkable 13-acre greenhouse. This greenhouse is the first step of an ambitious four-phase project, with each phase expected to create between 40 and 50 jobs in MC.
MC staff have worked to build on existing programs as well as improve existing services for residents. For example, in April 2024, MC launched a third inter-community transit route that begins in Dorchester, passes through London with stops at Wilton Grove Industrial Park and White Oaks Mall, and then continues to St. Thomas. Adding a new stop at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Southwold in August expanded the service on the new route and provided another choice for commuters to that facility!
Following a September announcement of a new Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Plus (CPLTC+) program, the Minister of Long-Term Care visited the Middlesex-London Paramedic Service (MLPS) on October 10 to launch their participation in this program. This pilot program, which is funded by the Ministry of Health, allows community paramedics to deliver essential diagnostic services including point-of-care testing such as urinalysis, Chem-8 and ultrasound, all of which help diagnose and treat conditions ranging from chronic kidney disease to diabetes. Providing service directly in long-term care homes minimizes the need to transport residents for routine testing, which reduces both the physical and emotional stress placed on vulnerable patients and alleviates demand on emergency room services.
In November, MLPS launched a new Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) Rapid Response Unit (RRU), aimed at getting ACPs to the patients who need them most, when they need them most. Using real-time data to ensure faster response times results in improved patient outcomes. The highly trained ACPs provide critical care interventions, such as advanced airway management, intravenous therapy and life-saving medications immediately upon arriving on scene, which represents a significant advancement in emergency response time.
Finally, I want to highlight MC Council approval on April 9, to move forward with plans for a new Middlesex County Governance and Administration Centre at 1035 Adelaide Street South, in London. Over a number of years, a majority of MC services including for example, transportation, social services, and planning have been decentralized, and many MC employees work remotely at locations throughout the county. Investments in new capital development within the County that include on-site spaces for workers, have contributed to the successful implemented a hybrid work model; the new centre, which will provide a permanent home for the County’s governance and corporate services teams, is the final stage of this decentralization project.
My experiences as the 2024 Warden of MC have been memorable as well as a lot of fun. I was delighted to have an opportunity to meet many of you and it was an honour to have the opportunity to celebrate the opening of new builds and improvement projects, to atend community events focused on history, music and agriculture, and to be a part of welcoming new businesses to your communities. Thank-you all, and very best wishes for continued accomplishment and much success in the year ahead!
