Our hospital in... 2018, mobilization campaign by the citizens' committee

Christopher Christopher C. Jacques

Posted on October 29, 2013

More than 300 people took part in the mobilization campaign of the citizens' committee for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Hospital, which would like to see it built by... 2018.

Our hospital, we want it in 2018,” mentioned more than once the ten panelists gathered on the stage of the Paul-Émile-Meloche Theater in La Cité des Jeunes on Saturday.In front of them, elected officials, dignitaries, citizens of Vaudreuil-Soulanges met more than once again to remind the government of the importance of having a hospital in a region of more than 140,000 people. “We don't want to remove to the other regions what they have, but we also want to have something that is not a luxury, but a necessity”, added the stakeholders from all spheres.

The representative of the citizens' committee, Denis Lapointe, kicked off the ball by inviting people to continue to demonstrate loud and clear. Deputies Yvon Marcoux and Lucie Charlebois added their weight in the balance by recalling that they will fight in Quebec City to make the minister hear the grievances of Vaudreuil-Soulangeois.

The prefect of the MRC and mayor of Coteau-du-Lac, Robert Sauvé, and the mayor of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Guy Pilon, joined forces to mention all the work already done and which should not remain a dead letter. “As for the land, we started with many possibilities. We have reduced the number and done our homework several times, so the government must in turn do what it must,” they said in broad terms. Guy Pilon added that if it was necessary to monopolize a bus to go to Quebec City, tell the people most concerned, he would.

A CSSS but no hospital

The other speakers followed one another, obtaining the approval of the numerous and enthusiastic members of the participants. Élyse Lapointe from the CSSS, Martin Richardson and Richard Beaumier from the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as Jean-Noël Bilodeau, Philippe Toupin, Bryan Amyot, Bryan Amyot, Jean-Paul Régis and Richard Beaumier from the Citizens' Committee, all from the citizens' committee, shed light on many points of discussion.

Denis Lapointe then recalled that even if a CSSS was built here, it was a step towards the establishment of a hospital. “The CSSS provides various essential services, but it is not the hospital. It is a supplement. People should not tell themselves that with the CSSS, there will be no hospital. We must continue to talk to the people around us about it, so that they in turn call on their loved ones and that they contact others, so that the government hears us,” says the person who also confirms that the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue hospital will not be transferred for this purpose. “It is there to serve people in western Montreal. But we need our hospital. And we want it for 2018,” he concluded.

Organizations: Paul-Emile Meloche Theater, MRC, Room

Geographical locations: Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Quebec, Coteau-du-Lac Vaudreuil-Dorion Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Hospital Montreal