About Westgrove Medical
We hope to create a Family Medicine Clinic in Etobicoke at 4740 Dundas St W, near the intersection of Islington and Dundas.
We are excited to provide medical care to you and your family members of all ages, with expertise in women’s health, pediatrics, and care of the elderly.
UPDATE - MAY 7, 2024
Dear Community Members,
We are writing to express our sincere gratitude for your support in the establishment of Westgrove Family Medicine Clinic at 4740 Dundas Street West, centrally located in Etobicoke.
This letter reaches you because you, along with nearly 2000 other residents, have signed our petition supporting the creation of our clinic. Many of you have also written letters of support to the Committee of Adjustment and local politicians - we have read each and every one of them. Your support keeps us going to ensure access to essential family medicine services for you and your loved ones right here in our community for decades to come.
As detailed in our petition, the primary obstacle to the opening of Westgrove Medical is an outdated Etobicoke-specific bylaw, implemented decades ago, mandating an unreasonably high number of parking spaces for medical clinics without any consideration for the many site-specific factors that make this location ideally suited for a family medicine clinic. The location of our medical clinic and the vital services it offers perfectly align with Toronto's goal of creating accessible communities where healthcare facilities are close to your home.
We would like to provide you with an update on the next steps and the Committee of Adjustment process. The City has informed us that Thursday, May 9th, is not the official hearing date but rather a "pre-hearing" to facilitate our progression to an official hearing, which we anticipate will occur within the next 1-2 months. We will promptly inform you of the official hearing date for those interested in offering their support either virtually or in person.
Once again, we thank each and every one of you. Bringing the vision of Westgrove Medical to life is truly a community effort, and we are profoundly grateful for your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Laura Thomas & Dr. Laura Quigley
Family Physicians & Co-Founders of Westgrove Medical
Support Westgrove Family Medicine Clinic
1. Click HERE to sign our petition. Your support is crucial to getting our Family Medicine clinic approved.
2. Letters of Support
Let the Committee know you support our Family Medicine Clinic at this location and what it would mean to you to have medical care accessible right within your own neighbourhood.
Letters can be e-mailed to: Nicole.Milrose@toronto.ca
Please include the property address, 4740 Dundas St W, in your email.
For greater impact, please cc:
Councillor Stephen Holyday: councillor_holyday@toronto.ca
Councillor & Deputy Mayor Amber Morley: councillor_morley@toronto.ca
Mayor Olivia Chow: mayor_chow@toronto.ca
Minister of Health Sylvia Jones: Sylvia.Jones@ontario.ca
Member of Provincial Parliament for Etobicoke Centre Kinga Surma: kinga.surmaco@pc.ola.org
Premier Doug Ford: premier@ontario.ca
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Family Medicine in Ontario is in CRISIS
Currently, half a million residents in Toronto lack access to a family doctor, a number projected to double to one million by 2026, as outlined by the Ontario College of Family Physicians.
These are not alarmist headlines – this is the reality facing residents of Etobicoke.
Amidst an exodus of family doctors from the profession due to retirement and the untenable financial pressures of running a practice, we have been working tirelessly to set up our permanent family medicine group practice, Westgrove Medical, in the heart of our community – at 4740 Dundas St West, near Islington and Dundas, where we can continue to provide care to our existing and new patients, uninterrupted, for decades to come.
We are facing challenges due to an Etobicoke-specific bylaw enacted decades ago as a ‘one size fits all’ for medical clinics, that does not apply to most of Toronto. It mandates a high parking ratio, irrespective of how the clinic operates (by appointment) and the availability of various modes of transportation that do not require parking. In an effort to satisfy this Etobicoke by-law, we have reduced the size of our practice to the minimum that will still allow it to be sustainable and serve the community and will be presenting the updated proposal at an upcoming Etobicoke Committee of Adjustment meeting.
Regrettably, individuals opposing the creation of Westgrove Medical in this area have greatly inflated the parking requirements of our clinic, without providing all relevant facts and mitigating factors, sparking unnecessary concern in the community. Furthermore, false information regarding the services offered by our clinic has been spread. Let me state, Westgrove Medical is a traditional family medicine clinic that you would be happy and proud to have in your community to serve you and your family for decades to come.
If the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored anything, it is the paramount importance of health care. Family medicine serves as the cornerstone of health care, and given the current crisis, it is imperative that we collectively ensure its sustainability.
We urge our community to take action - please sign the petition below and help us realize the vision of Westgrove Family Medicine Clinic in central Etobicoke.
With nearly 1 in 4 Ontarians lacking a family doctor, where will you and your loved ones seek medical care in the years ahead, if not within your own community?
Sincerely,
Dr. Laura Thomas, MD, MSc, CCFP
Dr. Laura Quigley, MD, MSc, CCFP
Family Physicians & Co-Founders of Westgrove Medical
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