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Wednesday, November 8, 2006 · Page 8 Celebrate Individual Choices How did he spend his time? What made her smile? In what did he believe? Each life is filled with unique experiences and relationships. It makes sense to celebrate and honour these individual differences. By asking and answering questions, taking care of necessary documents and details, we will help you with these choices. County energy infrastructure gets a boost Essex MPP Bruce Crozier announced Oct. 16 that the Ontario Power Authority has signed a contract with Great Northern Hydroponics in Kingsville for an 11.5megawatt combined heat and power project. "Cogeneration projects like these will help to ensure that the residents of Essex County have a reliable supply of electricity well into the future," said Crozier. The contract is part of the first phase of a competitive 1,000-megawatt procurement process ­ the first of its kind in Canada. The project is designed to take advantage of situations where larger industries or groups of users require both electricity and thermal energy for industrial use, heating or cooling. Seven projects representing a capital investment of $800 million were approved, ranging in size from a two-megawatt district energy project in Oshawa to a 236-megawatt industrial application in Thorold. "The projects are diverse in type and location, providing electricity and efficient thermal energy to Ontario's industry and communities," said Paul Bradley, OPA vice president of electricity resources. "They represent the high efficiency we should be striving for in Ontario's future power projects." The OPA has awarded contracts with each proponent based on the attributes of their specific projects. The resulting contract prices are designed so that each project is able to earn an acceptable rate of return. As the market price varies up or down, the projects will either receive price support or will pay the electricity ratepayers, through the OPA, if the price is higher than negotiated. Funding aimed at reducing ER wait times A plan to increase doctor salaries and reduce patient wait times in hospital emergency departments will include an infusion of $142 million into the provincial health care system. The announcement made by Health Minister George Smitherman Oct. 27 includes $13.2 million for Ontario hospitals to recruit and retain physicians through salary incentives. It also includes six pilot projects to add physician assistants and nurse practitioners to emergency rooms. Locally, Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital and Windsor Regional Hospital will share $493,700. The Sandwich Community Health Centre and the Windsor Teen Health Centre will receive $381,840 to support community-based services and provide additional services in the community. "Today's announcement is good news for the residents of my riding," said Essex MPP Bruce Crozier in a press release. "Our plan will help ensure emergency Reid Funeral Home Limited 87 Maidstone Avenue East, Essex Craig & Lorna Baker Funeral Directors www.reidfuneralhome.ca 776-4233 rooms stay open and will allow them to respond effectively and efficiently to the needs of patients in my community." Hospital management closed Leamington Hospital's ER overnight on three separate occasions in September because no physicians were available, forcing patients to travel to hospitals in Windsor or Chatham for medical attention. The press release did not include mention of Leamington Hospital.