It was a frank discussion with few easy answers.

That according to Lambton Warden Kevin Marriott who was part of a delegation meeting with the Minister of Long Term Care, Paul Calandra, at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa Tuesday.

Marriott and his team wanted to talk about some of the problems facing Lambton as the population ages. Recently, county council approved moving forward with planning a replacement for Lambton Meadowview Villa in Petrolia.

Last year, officials estimated it would cost about $50 million.

Marriott met with the minister hoping to make him aware of the funding need in Lambton.

“We asked about the money that we need for rebuilding…and the government is saying they’ve got some other ones that have already been set to go that they’ve got to finish first, before they can look at any other rebuilds or additions,” says Marriott.

The minister freely admitted there was a staffing problem in long-term care, Marriott said, but instead of providing answers, he asked Lambton officials if they had solutions.

Marriott says the county has been having a difficult finding and retaining health care workers in the homes particularly in the last two years.