Sections Search Subscribe Sign In Advertisement Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Brant councillors back Lansdowne plans for new home Author of the article: Expositor staff Publishing date: Dec 03, 2021 • 6 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation An architect's conceptual drawing shows the new Lansdowne Children's Centre being considered for construction on land in the Mohawk Lake District. jpg, BR Article content Brant county council is backing plans for a new home for Lansdowne Children’s Centre. Advertisement STORY CONTINUES BELOW Article content Councillors voted unanimously in favour of requesting from the provincial government stage one planning approval for Lansdowne’s plans “I know this is something that Lansdowne needs and they want to move quickly,” Mayor David Bailey said at a recent council meeting. “I also know that they can’t move forward without government approval.” Stage one planning approval is part of a lengthy process Lansdowne must follow to build a new home. Lansdowne, which provides services for children and youth with special needs, has been working from its building on Mount Pleasant Street in Brantford since 1998. Since that time it has more than tripled its client base (now more than 3,000 children) and doubled its onsite staff. That, said Rita-Marie Hadley, Lansdowne’s executive director, results in falling sort of accessibility requirements, inclusive parking and long delays waiting for service. As of Sept. 30, there were about 2,000 children and youth waiting for services from Lansdowne, said Hadley. “The wait times vary by services a child or youth requires and is subject to the triaging (assessment) of each individual referred,” she said. “There have been 1,368 individuals newly referred between April 1 and Sept. 20 of 2021. “Regrettably, the longest wait times can be as long as four years, with some services regularly requiring a year-long wait.” Lansdowne added sites in Haldimand and Norfolk to help families facing delays to get help, said Hadley, adding that need for a new home remains paramount. Advertisement STORY CONTINUES BELOW Article content “The longer we must wait for a commitment of major capital approval, the longer children wait.” Earlier this year, city councillors approved a memorandum of understanding with the Lansdowne Children’s Centre and De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre to work toward agreements of purchase and sale of land in the Mohawk Lake District, a revitalization of a section of Eagle Place. Also approved was the the start of survey work of 9.7 acres in the district that are designated for institutional development. Lansdowne would take about 6.2 acres and the health centre three to five acres. At the time, Hadley said the memorandum of understanding with the city is pivotal to applying for government funding for a new facility. “It’s an exciting first step, given we have been addressing crowding and space restraints for a decade,” she said. With the cleanup of the Greenwich-Mohawk brownfield site complete, the city is making plans for the area that stretches from Shallow Creek park on East Avenue to the Alfred Watts Generating Station ruins near Locks Road. After two years of community input, the Mohawk Lake District Plan was approved in November 2020 by city council. It includes potential residential, commercial and institutional development, museum space, and a large event space. Share this article in your social network LATEST NATIONAL STORIES Advertisement NEWS NEAR SIMCOE THIS WEEK IN FLYERS COMMENTS Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. Categories News Sports Entertainment Life Opinion All Newspapers Driving E-Paper Subscribe Follow the Simcoe Reformer Secondary Links Advertise With Us Digital Ad Registry Site Map Contact Privacy - Updated Terms of Use Copyright 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 © 2021 Simcoe Reformer, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. NOTICE FOR THE POSTMEDIA NETWORK This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. OK