January 31, 2005

London won’t appeal if Shriners pick another city for new Canadian hospital, official says

LONDON, Ont.

London won’t wage the kind of battle launched by Montreal and Ottawa last year if the Shriners decide to build their new Canadian hospital elsewhere, says a member of the city’s bid committee.

“I can tell you from the perspective of the board of directors here, if London doesn’t get it, it wouldn’t be our intention to launch an appeal or try to create a noise otherwise,” said Jeff Low, chair of the board of London Health Sciences Centre.

“We just have too much respect for these guys, for the work they do, and for the time they are taking and money they are spending to make sure they make the right decision,” Low said.

When the Shiners international board and hospital trustees last year voted unanimously to build a $50-million children’s hospital in London, the other two cities on the short list went on the offensive.

Ottawa hired a high-profile public relations firm and attacked London, writing a letter to each delegate at the Shriners convention asking them to reject the city’s bid.

London officials believe that was a critical factor in the Shriners decision to throw the competition back open to all three cities.

Montreal also counter-attacked with a publicity campaign that included claims that top researchers would never move to London because it lacked Montreal’s cosmopolitan atmosphere.

The McGill University Health Centre foundation also offered the Shriners a $5-million donation if it kept the hospital in the city.

During their visit to London last Tuesday, the Shriners committee emphasized to the city’s bid committee it would not be repeating the exercise again, Low said.

The selection committee is still headed by Gene Bracewell, treasurer of the 500,000-member fraternity, but the other members are all new.

The committee includes three Canadians from Vancouver, St. John’s, Nfld., and St. Catharines, Ont., as well as a doctor and lawyer from the United States.

Low said he was optimistic after the enthusiastic presentations made to the Shriners by the city, London Health Sciences Centre and the University of Western Ontario.

“I think the Shriners felt the passion. I had a couple mention to me on the side, ‘Boy you people are proud of what you are doing here.’ ”

The selection committee is scheduled to make its recommendation to the Shriners board in April.

A final decision is expected at the Shriners convention in Baltimore in July.

The Canadian Press

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