Organization will continue to fight for medical centre

January 7, 2010

To the editor:

We pleaded with Cadillac Fairview and our local, provincial and federal politicians not to let it happen, but on Dec. 24, the ICI Laboratories at 75 The Donway W., which just a few months ago was serving more than 140 patients daily, closed its doors.

Their business had dropped 40 per cent since other health practitioners began vacating the building as their leases expired. They knew that Cadillac Fairview plans to convert the building into condominiums and, not having been offered suitable alternative office space, they decided to leave.

Don Mills Friends has been fighting for more than three years to try and keep these necessary health facilities together in the Don Mills Centre. They are the only organization that, without lawyers or funds, fought on behalf of the more than 22,000 patients using what we call our Medical Centre.

On Oct. 1, their continued efforts were rewarded with a decision by city council to direct the chief planner and executive director, city planning, to survey the medical tenants in the building to determine their interest in relocation within the commercial space of the Don Mills Centre, and to direct Cadillac Fairview to continue its efforts to create new tenancies for the medical practitioners and service providers.

The ICI Laboratories was the linchpin of our medical centre, enabling patients to visit their doctors and receive any necessary tests required not only on the same day, but also in the same building.

No longer having this facility available will affect everyone, but more severely seniors who no longer drive and the residents in our seniors and nursing homes, as well the tenants of our home for the disabled, who could access their health services unaided by wheelchair or scooter.

Presently there are negotiations underway with Cadillac Fairview regarding their Phase 2 plans for Don Mills Centre, and Don Mills Friends is officially a party to these negotiations, bringing the matter of our medical centre to the table. I will keep you posted of any new information.

You can also visit the Don Mills Friends website at www.donmillsfriends.org.

Jeanetta Vickers