Port Hope resident holds out hope to save old hospital as developer seeks tribunal hearing

It is a cliché to say lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for. Yet, for Tony Jenkins, it could be his motto. Jenkins hopes to convince the Ontario Land Tribunal and anyone else not to grant a demolition permit to Southbridge. The developer wants to remove several heritage buildings from its Ward Street property. In June, it received a Minister's Zoning Order, or an MZO, allowing it to build a seven-storey, 192-bed long-term care home on the site. Port Hope council denied a demolition application at the end of June. Since then, Southbridge has filed with the Ontario Land Tribunal for a hearing. Jenkins hopes to preserve the old Port Hope hospital, one of several ancient buildings on the property. In this interview, you will hear from Jenkins and Dan Schneider, a provincial expert on cultural heritage policy. Jenkins acknowledges it is a David and Goliath battle. In 2022, the Ontario Land Tribunal has sided with developers 97 percent of the time. A quick note: Dan Schneider's speech may be difficult to understand at first. But, what he had to say was sufficiently significant to be included in this podcast.