Wednesday is the final day for residents in south Niagara to speak out against the controversial hospital restructuring plan.

Lakeshore Catholic high school is expected to be overrun with concerned citizens voicing their concerns to Dr. Jack Kitts, the man tasked with making recommendations on the proposed changes to Port Colborne General and the Niagara Health System’s five other hospitals.

On July 17, the NHS released its restructuring plan which proposes to cut back the 24-hour emergency department in Port Colborne to 14 hours before being eliminated outright. The plan also proposes to centralize services like maternity, pediatrics, psychiatric, stroke care and other services at hospitals in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland.

Brenda Irvine, who created a “save the hospital” group on the popular Internet site Facebook, said attending Wednesday’s meeting is of utmost importance in the fight to save the hospital.

“If we don’t show a strong face it’s not going to look good,” said Irvine. “If we don’t get people out to this meeting it will say to Dr. Kitts ‘we don’t care about our hospital,’ and that would be a very bad thing.”

She said it’s “very important” for the community to come together and fight for the hospital. She said a good turnout would be somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 people.

At a meeting in Fort Erie two weeks ago, where Douglas Memorial Hospital faces mirrored cuts, an estimated 5,000 people came out to protest the proposed cuts.

“We need the same show of support in Port Colborne,” she said. “Unless you’re working or are on your death bed there is no reason why you can’t take two hours to come out and fight for something as important as this.”

Last week, the mayor sent out a message to local businesses urging them to allow employees to attend the meeting at Lakeshore. He said the meeting is the last chance the city has to make the case to save emergency services.

“This is an opportunity for the public to have their say,” said Port Colborne Mayor Vance Badawey. “Since July I, along with other elected officials, have had my say on this hospital plan. This is the public’s chance to face Dr. Kitts and get the message out.”

While Badawey will speak briefly at Wednesday’s meeting, he said the night is more about letting the citizens have their say. He is urging speakers to stick to the facts and to try and not repeat what has already been said.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. but the mayor is urging residents to show up early. The Lakeshore gym and auditorium hold about 1,400 people, but a sound system will be in place in the parking lot for overflow.

Bus transportation has been arranged to and from Lakeshore Catholic in anticipation of a high volume of people.

Bus one will depart Portal Village at 5:30 p.m. and arrive at Lakeshore at 5:45 p.m.

The second bus will leave Neff Street (at the corner of Elm) at 5:30, then make stops at the Friends Over 55 Centre, City Hall and Centre Polyvalent de Francophones des Aines, 184 Mitchell Street. The bus is expected to arrive at Lakeshore at 5:55 p.m.

Buses are expected to leave the high school at about 9:30 p.m.