Dufferin County paramedics extend contract with local hospital

July 2, 2026 · 0 Comments

Written By JOSHUA DRAKES

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

The Dufferin County Paramedic Service added two additional months to its contract with Headwaters Health Care Centre.

The land ambulance service delivery contract between the county and the hospital in Orangeville was extended until Aug. 31.

Gary Staples, the county’s chief paramedic, said a significant review of the existing contract was required. The current contract was extended by two months to allow for the summer Dog Days to pass and to allow the county to forward the new contract for insurance and legal consultation.

“We are just trying to finalize that,” Staples said.

Councillor Todd Taylor, Orangeville’s deputy mayor, asked if the current upper-tier council could have a voice on the matter, given the October municipal elections and new terms in the offing for municipal and county councils.

Michelle Dunne, the county’s clerk, said CAO Antonietta Minichillo has the authority to sign cheques.

“If we are in lame duck, it’s just anything over $50,000 which this would apply to,” Dunne said.

A lame duck period in Ontario municipal politics refers to a timespan from the nomination deadline to election day. Legislation prevents a council from taking actions at that time that might have bearing on the new council’s role in making decisions. Lame duck also refers to the period between election day and the new council’s term beginning.

The percentage of councillors who ink their names to ballots also has a bearing on the lame duck declaration.

In a lame duck period, a council is restricted from the appointment or removal of municipal officers, hiring or dismissing employees, disposing of any real or personal property of the municipality with a value greater than $50,000, and spending or incurring expenses more than $50,000 that haven’t been budgeted that year.