The University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) has issued a formal letter to the Town of Gananoque clarifying that it has never declined or deferred a donation from the municipality, addressing a lingering misconception raised during previous budget discussions.
In a letter dated April 24, UHKF president and CEO Tamas Zsolnay wrote to Mayor John Beddows, members of council, and town staff to reaffirm the foundation’s appreciation for Gananoque’s ongoing support – and to clear up confusion that first surfaced during the 2023 budget cycle and resurfaced during this year’s deliberations in March.
“UHKF has no record of ever declining a donation from the Town of Gananoque,” Zsolnay stated.
The foundation said it responded directly to the concern in 2023 by sharing financial records confirming that no donation had ever been refused. Nonetheless, the notion re-emerged during Gananoque’s 2025 budget discussions.
To settle the matter, UHKF’s associate director of healthcare advancement, Abby McIlquham, met with town treasurer John Morrison to review and compare both parties’ donation records. Morrison confirmed that the records were aligned — and that at no point had a donation from the town been rejected.
Zsolnay said the foundation remains committed to transparency and to its partnership with Gananoque as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen regional health care.
The letter includes a summary of all donations made by the town to UHKF and concludes with an invitation to continue working collaboratively to support access to care for Gananoque residents.
Keith Dempsey is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Brockville Recorder and Times. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
