Dispute between N.L. government, town of Deer Lake preventing new clinic from opening

A beautiful new building looks ready to open. The parking spaces are even paved. Signs are up, and government now says it should be open soon. Plans are in place. I think we should be, clinics should be ready to open in the next month, but you have to get access to get back and forth. But all roads leading to it are blocked or closed. The health clinic is just off the TCH, a popular strip with large stores, gas stations, restaurants and hotels. The infrastructure minister wants to make it so you can only make right-hand turns in and out. But the mayor wants people to be able to drive in both directions. That's one point of dispute. Then there's this adjacent access road. Infrastructure Minister Barry Pettin said in a letter to Mayor Dean Ball, this was built without proper approvals and it will stay closed. Then there is this road, Humberview Drive, that leads right to the health facility near a developing subdivision. The town isn't ready to take on this road due to concerns about liability. Petten has said the mayor is using access to the health care facility as a bargaining chip, which the mayor has said isn't true. Petten says government may have to expropriate Humberview Drive. The mayor has previously said if they want to do that, they can take it. I'd rather not do that. I'd rather just come to an agreement, and we've got to get the health center open. We can talk about the development of a supermarket, a McDonald's, and a hotel that the Mayor Ball and the developer wants, and I'd like to see it there too, but we have to do it in a safe manner. Petten is talking about temporary expropriation, a process that takes just a few days. But Petten says they are holding off, hoping the health department can get access without those drastic measures. He promises he will talk to Mayor Ball, but he's very busy this week. Mayor Dean Ball did not want to do an on-camera interview with me today, but the town of Deer Lake did issue a statement online that says that they want to work with the provincial government in a collaborative approach to ensure that residents have safe yet convenient access to the health facility. Colleen Connors, CBC News, Deer Lake.