Enderby sets health as a priority
The health of Enderby is top of the agenda.
Residents have identified community and individual health as a top priority through an extensive planning process.
“Talk to people and you hear about their troubles finding a doctor,” said Mayor Howie Cyr.
“Who will want to move to the community if you don’t have a certain standard of health?”
Three issues have been identified as part of the broader issue of health care.
The first is incentives to encourage doctors to move to Enderby. Presently, there is a shortage of permanent physicians in the community.
The other two issues are assisted living to support seniors and promoting the affordability of housing as a way of attracting young families to Enderby.
Cyr admits there is now an onus on city council to move ahead with these priorities.
“We’re getting to the point where the rubber hits the road,” he said.
“Now comes the time where we have to put money into making them happen.”
Short, medium and long-term goals will be selected and sources of funding, both locally and from senior government, will be identified.
The priority of health care was the result of the Our Enderby integrated community sustainability planning process.
Visioning workshop participants included representatives from the safe communities unit, the Interior Health Authority and the Splatsin First Nation.
“Through the many public engagement forums that we’ve utilized through this planning process, including the Our Enderby Facebook page, presentations to community groups, and a visioning workshop, the residents have been loud and clear that their health and well-being is a top priority within this community,” said Cyr.
Downtown resiliency has been identified as the second highest priority for the sustainability strategy, while transportation and infrastructure is third.
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