Many construction projects are considered essential and one of these is Ed’s House – the new Hospice centre just north of Cobourg. The Community Care newsletter shared news of progress and included some photos. They quoted the fact that Ed’s House is considered an essential project and said that “Precautions, including physical distancing and frequent hand washing, are being taken on-site to ensure the health and safety of all workers.” For those who are not aware of what Ed’s House is, it’s a Hospice – that is, a place where the terminally ill can have dignified and competent care with pleasant surroundings. Cobourg News blog reported on the highly successful fundraising – see links below. The project team is still expecting an opening in the Fall of 2020.
The Hospice will be managed by Northumberland Community Care which currently provides a range of services including transportation services, meals on wheels, home help and maintenance and more. See their web site here for an update on what’s happened to them in the Covid-19 crisis – for example, meals on wheels will now supply frozen meals instead of hot, and volunteer drivers will no longer provide transportation services. Only essential transportation will be provided and then it will be by Community care drivers, not volunteers, and in Community Care Specialized Transportation vehicles. Their offices are closed although they can be contacted by email or phone.
But this is a good news story – the people of Cobourg and area have been very generous with their time and money to provide a service needed by people in their final hour and it’s progressing well.
Here are some photos of the current status of the project – above and below.
Links
- Ed’s House Fundraising Exceeds Goal – 24 May 2019
- Groundbreaking for the Northumberland Hospice Hub – 24 April 2019
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I think everyone in our community is aware of the importance of this hospice however at what cost?! I can’t see any construction jobsite offering the level of sanitary & social distancing protection for its workers that is required during a pandemic despite what the contractor and community care may claim. I drove by there two days last week and the street was literally lined with cars. It’s up to the owner of the site to ensure the proper resources are in place so the workers can protect themselves, their families and the community from covid19. Unfortunately I think profit and finishing the project on time is the driving force behind the decision making not the people at this project. Morals need to be reviewed.
Certain projects are allowed to continue, and the Government has established rules for workers to follow. From driving by various sites it is the workers or employees that are disregarding these rule, and seeing this suggests they don’t care. This also applies to curb side shopping recently introduced for hardware stores. Majority of sales people attending your order generally come right up to your car wanting the window to be rolled down.
Given all that is being done to protect people, these workers need to do their part.
It’s not just the workers who are responsible here. The employer and supervisor are both required by law to ensure a safe workplace is maintained.
It seems that many do not realize where/how the new Hospice Care Centre, Ed’s House, fits directly into people’s lives and also the NHH too with respect to otherwise having to occupy many more beds than normal for palliative care of those in their last fews days.
Since the Ed’s House will have 10 beds when fully operational and since the average individual stay at such a facility in Ontario is in the the 12- Day range, it doesn’t take much to see the positive impact it will have on a badly needed service in the Medical System.
From an intimate knowledge of this area for various personal reasons, I can offer nothing but a very strong view of this project. It is indeed a very much welcomed and positive service to our community, and especially at this time when we all could use a little positivity in society.
If Ed’s House opens before the Carona Virus is all done we may be glad that it is available.
Hope none of us have to use it.
If we need the beds in the late fall when it is suppose to open, To fight Covid 19 , we are all in big trouble
Somewhere, (government web site? will look for it again) I read that construction projects already with permits and/or in partial state of construction can be continued if distancing measures etc can be assured. Does raise the issue of whistle blower protection if any employee feels they are being forced to work in unsafe conditions, not only construction sites.
I found this:
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r20119 see section 30 in particular
‘ED’S House the wright thing at the wrong time
and yes I noticed that Construction of Non essential Buildings is still being permitted for a few Good old Boys
around town Some is going on in the early hours of the morning before the By Law or Health officials are on the road .. Ie: LeBlanc development on Densmore, Stalwood in the east end and the Legion Condos
are all still going on .
I wonder if there is a by-law that stipulates the earliest start time and latest finish time, on any construction projects, within the GCA (Greater Cobourg Area)? I think 7:00 am for start and 7:00 pm for finish? Any and all inspectors should be ‘on the clock’ for these hours….in my humble opinion.
This job site should be shut because of Covid 19
There Too many people on The site
It is an important place , but everyone must physical distance , on a job site you cannot do it
If it was work on any on job directly involved to Covid 19 , that is essentially work , this is not
The job site on Spencer which had been “madly” building residential private dwellings on the old age retirement site continues on University also. Seems to be a lot of confusion. The last article reported by John Draper states there will be access to the beach for walk through yet another blogger states there is no accesss. Communicaton – remember the old game called telephone. 30 people sat in a circle each whispering a message and passing it on. The text was recorded at the beginning – at the end the messsage became “spss, spss, spss, literally. So I guess we will all have to keep our ears to the ground and official reportings.