The Board of Health of the Grey Bruce Health Unit is pleased to announce that Sue Paterson has been acclaimed to a second one-year term as Board chair.
Paterson, the mayor of Hanover and a Grey County representative on the Board, was nominated for the position by Owen Sound Deputy-mayor and Grey County representative Brian O’Leary during a Board of Health meeting on Friday, Feb. 4. The nomination was seconded by Southgate Deputy-mayor and Grey County representative Brian Milne.
“It’s an honour to receive the support of the Board of Health to serve for a second term as chair,” Paterson says.
“We have come so far as a community while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. And through it all, the Grey Bruce Health Unit has continued to work tirelessly to protect and promote the health of the community.
“With the light now visible at the end of the tunnel, I’m looking forward to seeing what we can continue to accomplish together as we endeavour to create a healthier future for all.”
Paterson, who was first elected to Hanover council in 2003 and has served as the town’s mayor since 2014, has been a Board of Health member since December 2016.
She was first acclaimed as board chair in December 2020, nine months after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.
Paterson replaced Huron-Kinloss Mayor and former Bruce County representative Mitch Twolan, who remained as chair for two terms due to the pandemic.
Board policy states the position of chair will alternate between a Grey County representative and a Bruce County representative. Since Twolan served for two terms, a Grey County representative is to serve as chair in 2021 and 2022.
Following this term, the chair position will return to a yearly rotation between Bruce and Grey counties.
Also during the Feb. 4 Board of Health meeting, provincial appointee Alan Barfoot was acclaimed vice-chair of the Board of Health.
Boards of health govern public health units in Ontario.
The 2022 Grey-Bruce Board of Health also includes: Grey County representatives: Brian O’Leary, deputy-mayor of Owen Sound; Selwyn “Buck” Hicks, deputy-mayor of Hanover and warden of Grey County; and Brian Milne, deputy-mayor of Southgate; Bruce County representatives: Janice Jackson, mayor of South Bruce Peninsula and warden of Bruce County; Luke Charbonneau, mayor of Saugeen Shores; and Chris Peabody, mayor of Brockton; provincial appointee Helen-Claire Tingling; and Nick Saunders, representing Chippewas of Nawash First Nation.
While serving on the Board of Health, members must represent all residents in Grey and Bruce counties and not only constituents from their municipalities, according to Board policies.
