Latest effort to save Minden's ER from closure hits legal roadblock
Lawyers informed the 'Save The Minden ER' organizers an injunction to halt the scheduled emergency room closure isn't possible.
In late April, Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) notified the community about the closure and the consolidation of operations at the Haliburton site, roughly 20 minutes away.
Residents rallied, raising over $85,000 to pursue an injunction and request a judicial review hoping to pause the closure for one year.
"It's really upsetting to me because I really believed in this injunction," said 'Save The Minden ER' organizer Patrick Porzucek. "There's no case law or anything we can do because they [HHHS] own both sites and are allowed to consolidate. So even if we went for the injunction, it would just be thrown out."
HHHS noted significant staffing shortages plaguing hospitals across the province for the imminent closure.
Earlier this month, HHHS President and CEO Carolyn Plummer noted that the decision to close the ER permanently wasn't easy.
"It was an operational decision that had to be made in order to make sure we can continue to provide high-quality care," she stated.
Still, residents remain determined, with several business owners planning to take the fight to Queen's Park today.
The community has also organized a candlelight vigil at the Minden Hospital on Wednesday night, which marks its last scheduled day of operation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

1 RCMP officer killed, 2 seriously injured while executing search warrant in Coquitlam, B.C.
One RCMP officer was killed and two others were seriously injured while police were executing a search warrant at a home in Coquitlam, B.C., Friday.
EXCLUSIVE 'Shared intelligence' from Five Eyes informed Trudeau's India allegation: U.S. ambassador
There was 'shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners' that informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's public allegation of a potential link between the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen, United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen confirmed to CTV News.
'He was truly exceptional': Slain B.C. RCMP officer identified
B.C. RCMP has identified the officer killed while executing a search warrant in Coquitlam Friday morning as Const. Rick O'Brien.
WATCH Video of rats running on wall prompts closure of Waterloo Tim Hortons
A Tim Hortons on University of Waterloo campus has been closed after a video of rats scurrying down one of the restaurant’s walls surfaced online.
'He had a big heart': Father of fallen teenage wildland firefighter remembers his son
When 19-year-old Jaxon Billyboy graduated high school in Williams Lake in June, it was a proud moment for his father Sheldon Bowe.
How does India's visa office suspension affect Canadian travellers?
The suspension of Indian visa services for Canadians this week has prompted uncertainty among many who had hoped to travel to India in the near future. Here's what the visa centre closure could mean for India's sizable diaspora community in Canada, which is now caught in the middle of rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Health Canada recalls more than 28,000 X-Lite lighters due to burn hazard
Health Canada has issued a recall notice for the X-Lite Multi-Purpose Lighter, warning consumers about the potential fire and burn hazards associated with this product.
TREND LINE Conservatives extend summer lead over Liberals, NDP sees bump in Nanos ballot tracking
With the fall sitting of Parliament underway, Nanos ballot tracking shows the federal Conservatives continue to hold onto the lead they’ve had all summer while the Liberals remain stalled, and the NDP has managed to gain a bit of steam in third place.
Who's Bob Menendez? New Jersey's senator charged with corruption has survived politically for years
Bob Menendez, 69, has survived politically for nearly five decades. The son of Cuban immigrants and an attorney by training, he was a Union City, New Jersey, school board member at age 20 -- before he graduated from law school -- and went on to become the mayor of the city. Here's some of what we know about him.