JULY 2014
H
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plagued WDG Public Health over the years. The facility in Orangeville did
not meet accessibility guidelines and could not house all Public Health pro-
grams. In Guelph, an outdated facility prompted the move to several tem-
porary locations creating accessibility and service delivery problems for the
past seven years.
A host of technological and equipment upgrades accompanied the de-
velopment of the new facilities such as internal water source heat pumps,
heat recovery, efficient plumbing systems and energy efficient LED and T5
lighting.
A few other equipment upgrades specific to Public Health were added
such as generators for vaccine fridges in case of a power failure. All of the
government funded vaccines are available through Public Health. Conse-
quently, at any one time, especially at the start of flu season, Public Health
could have up to $18-million worth of vaccine in the fridges. WDG Public
Health also has an emergency operations centre to respond to local emer-
gencies, a short-wave radio communication’s room and an antenna for
emergency communication in the event of a significant power outage. An-
other unique addition is a designated clinic area with an air ventilation sys-
tem for seeing people with airborne disease like tuberculosis or measles.
“I think the first challenge you have with any kind of construction project
is solidifying your dream into what you really need and can afford. When we
overcame that hurdle, these new facilities became a reality and will identify
a place and a face for Public Health within these particular communities,”
said Dr. Mercer. “Now there’s actually a new physical place where people
can say, ‘Oh, that’s the Public Health building, I know where it is, and I know
where to get great accessible healthcare information and services.”
