The Niagara Creative Cultural Community Hub has gained some traction with some provincial political players in its quest to turn the old NOTL hospital into a shared space for charity and community groups. 

New Democrat MPP Wayne Gates and his party’s new leader, Marit Stiles, visited Niagara-on-the-Lake on Friday to express their support for the project.

“I think a community hub is a way of giving back to the community,” Gates said,

Gates has been supportive of the community hub since the idea was first floated, said Robin Ridesic, owner of the Exchange Brewery, and an advocate for the project.

Stiles gave her own stamp of approval as well. 

“I am very interested in the concept of community hubs,” Stiles said during a visit to the site.

She developed an interest in the concept as a school trustee when she was working to keep existing schools open or to use them for additional purposes, she said.

While the NOTL community hub was founded in November it has been through several iterations, all of which have been trying to establish a shared space for non-profits in NOTL.

Previously the group had considered purchasing the old Parliament Oak school but the property was bought by Two Sisters Resorts Corp. before they could make an offer, Ridesic said in an interview.

Gates told the group he fought to keep Parliament Oak open but the District School Board of Niagara closed it.

Julia Murray, head of Royal Oak School, which is now housed in the old hospital, said her school was started to help fill the gap left behind by the closing of Parliament Oak.

“We emerged as a non-profit charitable organization to fill the need for education in this town.”

Both Ridesic and Gates spoke to the need for additional health care services in NOTL as well, though the Ford government has shown no interest in retrofitting the old hospital.

“Medical people would like the hospital to come back,” Ridesic said. “I don’t think anybody would object to that.”

She and Gates agreed a new hospital in NOTL is unlikely. 

“It’s not the direction that the government is going, quite frankly,” Gates said. 

He told the group, “I have not got one call” from residents who want the old hospital to be turned into a health care hub. 

He added that hospitals are being closed across Niagara and there was a definite need for more health care services.

“We have a shortage of doctors in our community,” Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa told The Lake Report in an interview. 

He was unsure about the need for a new hospital and added it was “not in our purview to figure out how to fund” hospitals and medical services.

He said the town can “bring that conversation” to the province, though.

Ridesic said the hub is willing to work with any community group.

“Any community services that can be offered, we would love to co-locate,” Ridesic said.

For its next steps, Ridesic said the group needs “guidance” on how to get support “at the provincial level.”

“We really believe we can do something magical here.”

Gates told the hub members the NDP has research departments that can help the organization find grants and funding.

“We can help figure out which ministries are the best place to start,” Stiles added.

First, however, the hub needs to get town council on board. 

Zalepa told The Lake Report that the future of the old hospital will be addressed as council begins working on the town’s strategic plan over the next month. 

Council needs to provide leadership and “focus in on what exactly the community needs and expects to get from the use of that asset,” he said.

“There’s been a lack of clear, concise direction from council to guide what outcome should come out of this process,” he added.