In a fury of letters on Wednesday, the debate for where a brand-new Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital (OSMH) should go, continues. A special council meeting will take place at 1 p.m. in Orillia to discuss a location for the hospital and a letter submitted to council from Lakehead University. Lakehead University president Dr. Gillian Siddall submitted a letter to Orillia council for discussion today, asking council to consent to the unconditional sale of approximately 25 acres of land from the Orillia campus to OSMH and reinvest the proceeds to the construction of a new academic building. Mayor Don McIsaac released an open letter to residents, including three direct answers to Dr. Siddall’s letter. McIsaac referenced the city’s 2008 agreement in which the university contain 450,000 square feet of university by 2024. The university currently stands 82,000 square feet. The city has offered to help fund a new building for up to $15 million. McIsaac also pointed out residents gave the land to Lakehead for one dollar and now wants to sell the land to OSMH. Dr. Siddall’s letter indicates the university would appreciate an answer on August 5, so the two parties can continue to make a deal and McIsaac indicates that council will do its due diligence before coming to a conclusion. This is a developing story and more information will be provided when it becomes available.
