It is hard to overstate the health care crisis across Canada. Funding, beds being closed in hospitals, hospital emergency wards being closed weekends or some evenings because of a shortage of doctors and/or nurses, and so on.

At the same time, we often do not celebrate the quality of health care that we also experience. Smart cities have linked their local health care sector to broader economic opportunities that range from research on diseases to robotic surgery to attracting smart, well-educated and well-paid health care workers who can boost a city's image and work force.

But, we sometimes see municipal governments failing to link with local health sciences, research parks and medical innovation.

And, sometimes we forget that the local hospitals and medical teams are the place where our residents get better, have a baby, get that hip replacement, or even save a life.

Put me in that last category. Several of you have enquired over the past four months about my absence. The short answer is, I was in the hospital. I won't bore you with my situation, but it was life-threatening. I am extremely grateful to the doctors, nurses, therapists, PSWs and other members of the medical community who looked after me. I am rehabbing now.

City councils are increasingly being asked to provide capital funding for local or regional health care facilities. A large, new hospital takes years to build and costs hundreds of millions of dollars. Local fund-raisers will always go to the local council to be one of the lead donors.

While there is often some debate about using one source of public money to fund another public institution, it is exceedingly difficult for a municipal government to not invest in local health care.

The bottom line for many is simply that the availability of a modern, leading health care facility is in fact a major attraction for that community and will generate more people moving to the city and investing in that community.

Municipal governments are having more 'non-core' responsibilities thrust upon them, and many involve health care. For example, several cities and towns have invested in campaigns to bring in new doctors to serve their community, simply because the lack of medical care for families has become a civic problem.

The funding of health care is primarily driven by the federal government allocations to provinces, and then the billions that provinces add to the system. No, it is not a perfect system. No, it is not always an efficient system. Yes, it still saves lives.

And if you would allow me a personal note, the nurses, PSWs and therapists are the glue that hold together hospital care. We don't say 'thank you' to them often enough.