$5.5 million investment in Kawartha Lakes’ ambulance service from province

The Ontario government is investing nearly $764 million in the province’s annual Land Ambulance Service Grant (LASG) to help municipalities facing increased cost pressures in their emergency departments. As part of this funding, Kawartha Lakes will receive $5,454,794 to support the hiring of additional paramedics, wage and cost of living adjustments and general ambulance services operation to meet the needs of the local community.

“The Land Ambulance Service Grant is great news for the residents of Kawartha Lakes”, said Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton – Kawartha Lakes – Brock. “This investment of over $5 million will be used to support hiring paramedics, and support ambulance operational costs which will increase ambulance availability across the City of Kawartha Lakes”.

Through the LASG, municipalities receive funding for 50 per cent of the costs for their land ambulance operations. This funding is part of the government’s commitment to building a modern, sustainable, and connected emergency health system that supports every Ontarian on their health care journey. This also supports the government’s work on the Plan to Stay Open: Health System Stability and Recovery, to ease pressures on our health care system, hire more health care workers and providing the right care in the right place to Ontarians.

In addition, the Ontario government is also continuing to fund 100 per cent of costs for Central Ambulance Communications Centres (CACCs) to dispatch ambulances, helping to deliver equitable emergency health services to Ontarians across the province.

QUICK FACTS

• In 2022, upper-tier municipalities and designated delivery agents are receiving nearly $764 million in funding from the government, representing an average increase of five per cent provincially compared to 2021 funding levels.
• LASG funding is provided on a 50-50 cost share basis with UTMs and DDAs and is based on the previous year’s council-approved operating budgets. Municipalities and DDAs are responsible for determining the provision and costs of land ambulance services that meet the needs of their community, including appropriate staffing levels.