Owen Sound council rejected a motion from Deputy Mayor Scott Greig to have staff provide a report on costs borne by the city in an ice rescue effort last month.
The motion was formally brought before council during Monday’s meeting and sought to have staff produce a report on costs to the city and to prepare to invoice the people who were rescued by emergency services from Georgian Bay near Owen Sound on March 8.
Twenty-three people who went out ice fishing on that mild March day ended up stranded after the shelf they were on broke off and began drifting out into the bay. OPP helicopters came to their rescue and brought each person stranded on the ice, and some who ended up partially submerged in the water, to safety. The emergency response involved many other services including Owen Sound, Inter-Township, Hanover and Northern Bruce Peninsula firefighters, Bruce and Grey county paramedics, Grey Bruce and Wellington OPP officers, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ornge air ambulance.
But council swiftly rebuked the motion from Greig to attempt to impose some financial accountability for those rescued, a nay vote he joined and helped defeat his own motion 8-0 during Monday’s council meeting.
“I think tourism is an incredibly important part of our local economy and I think this motion sends the message that if you come to Owen Sound and something happens, we’re not going to show up or we’ll bill you for it,” says Coun. Brock Hamley. “I honestly think even putting this motion on the table, the reputational damage to Owen Sound is pretty significant…I really disagree with the motion.”
Coun. Carol Merton spoke about privacy concerns and other issues: “The personal information of the individuals rescued by the Grey County paramedics and OPP is private information. And we have been advised it will not be shared with us. So there is no process or ability to invoice these individuals for the rescue. Our fire department was present for support if needed, but did not actually participate in the physical rescue itself. All the individuals were rescued by OPP Aviation Services. OPP will not be invoicing for their service.”
Bayshore News previously sent an inquiry to the OPP for background information about whether enforceable fines exist relating to activities that could result in rescue.
“The OPP does not fine or charge individuals who require rescue unless there is an associated act that contravenes the law, such as a person who requires assistance while breaking into a home or business,” OPP West Region Media Relations Coordinator Derek Rogers says in an email.
Owen Sound Fire Chief Phil Eagleson told councillors there were some additional operating costs incurred by the city’s fire department for its part in the March 8 rescue effort, estimated at $4,700.
“I have more emails in support of, and I believe public attitudes are certainly much more in support of holding the fishermen more financially responsible for the costs that day,” Greig says. Yes, it was a rescue. And that is what the services are there for. But, there’s only so many services…what is potentially compromised if a slower response to other emergencies is a potential outcome?”
Minor injuries, including hypothermia, were reported by the OPP in the March 8 ice rescue of 23 anglers. At the time, police said everyone was expected to make a full recovery.