Belleville is stepping up its doctor recruitment program.
Monday night, city council approved extra funding to double the number of doctors it will try to bring to the city this year.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk said he and Economic Development Manager Karen Poste met with six student doctors who were visiting the city this week.
Poste told council they need about 30 new family physicians.
She said “It is getting more and more competitive. Lots of municipalities are poaching doctors from other municipalities. Belleville has taken the high road and does not do that. We are competing with communities in the United States as well.”
Councillor Sean Kelly said, “I don’t go a week without someone asking me about doctors, saying ‘I need a doctor.'”
Staff are confident they will have two student doctors signed up by the end of the year and believe another two could be signed on as well.
Buying buses and fire equipment
Belleville has decided to upgrade its transit system with new buses.
At Monday night’s meeting, city council approved a request from Belleville Transit for four new buses, to deal with extra transit routes and expanded hours of operation.
The total cost is $3.1 million, with city taxpayers picking up $846,000 of that amount.
The city will apply to the Canada Infrastructure Program to cover the remainder.
Council also approved buying an almost new aerial ladder truck at a cost of $1.1 million.
The current one used by the fire department is 20 years old.
That committee fight – it’s changed
