Renfrew County Health Coalition

04/15/2026

Are you seeing the pattern? Underfund public hospitals while funding private for-profit clinics. That is what our premier, Doug Ford, is choosing to do and the federal government is mute about the contravention to the Canada Health Act that charging us for medically necessary healthcare entails. Join us at one of the rallies on April 25 to show your dissatisfaction.

Another round of hospital cuts in Ontario despite the severe understaffing that's crippling the sector. The Ottawa Hospital has announced 400 job cuts, the vast majority of them nurses and PSWs.

This is absurd considering the latest provincial data: patients at the Ottawa Hospital on average wait 24 hours for admission to the hospital, with 82% waiting longer than the 8-hour target time.

Cutting more staff will deplete the workforce, making it harder to serve patients in a timely manner, prolonging wait-times and hurting care.

04/14/2026

OTTAWA, 12 pm
Canadian Tribute to Human Rights, 220 Elgin St.
(OR PEMBROKE, 1 pm Service Ontario Plaza, 400 Pembroke St
Rally against Ford's for profit clinics etc)

ALL OUT to stop the privatization of our hospitals!

🔴 SATURDAY, APRIL 25 🔴
(There will be more protests in other towns later this year. This is just the first set.)

⚫ CITY OF KAWARTHA LAKES (LINDSAY), 12 pm
Outside MPP Laurie Scott's office, 14 Lindsay St. N.
Contact: Bonnie Roe, 705-457-6579, bonnieroe08@gmail.com

⚫ OTTAWA, 12 pm
Canadian Tribute to Human Rights, 220 Elgin St.
Contact: Nancy Parker, OttawaHealthCo@gmail.com

⚫ PORT COLBORNE, 1:30 pm
64 Clarence St.
Contact: Sue Hotte, 905-932-1646, NiagaraHealthCoalition@yahoo.ca

⚫ ELMVALE (SIMCOE COUNTY), 11 am
Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival -- at the tent across from the arena
Contact: Anita Johnson-Ford, SimcoeCountyHC@gmail.com

⚫ ST. CATHARINES, 11 am
221 Glendale Ave.
Contact: Sue Hotte, 905-932-1646, NiagaraHealthCoalition@yahoo.ca

⚫ WATERLOO, 12 pm
Waterloo Town Square, 75 King St.
Contact: Jim Stewart, 519-588-5841, WaterlooRegionHealthCoalition@gmail.com

⚫ WINDSOR, 11 am
Outside MPP Andrew Dowie's office, 5452 Tecumseh Rd. E
Contact: Patrick Hannon, 519-796-0410, WindsorHealthCoalition@gmail.com

This is the first in a series of protests across Ontario to send a clear message that we will not let them privatize our public hospitals.

Experience shows, if we can mount enough pressure we can stop Ford's privatization. Our goal is to inspire 10,000 Ontarians to come out. Let's make a show of opposition commensurate to the threat.

It matters that the Ford government feels the pressure or they will not stop. Please come out if you can. Please spread the word.

Since the inception of public hospitals in Ontario, no government has undertaken privatization like this. It is a HUGE transfer of our public funding away from local public hospitals to profit-taking corporations.

The Ford government has announced almost $300 million for 61 new private surgical and diagnostic clinics. By Ford's own numbers, this will redirect 1.2 million patients away from public hospitals. This is truly unprecedented privatization of our public hospitals' core services.

Between hospitals and long-term care, they are spending almost $1 billion on for-profit staffing agencies that cost up to triple per hour for nurses & PSWs, taking money away from recruiting and retaining a full-time local staff force to provide services.

While pouring our public money into more expensive for-profit clinics & hospitals, our local public hospitals have been pushed into deficit by the Ford government and forced to make cuts.

In other areas, there are Fight Ford protests. They are not organized by us and they are on a host issues of concern about what Ford is doing that people want to raise. Below is the list of those events. If you plan to attend, please check this page for the most updated times and locations: https://www.facebook.com/groups/999677935818616/. Please do support and bring your banners and signs!

Please note that some of the Fight Ford events conflict with our times and/or locations. We can't cancel at this late date. In any case, it is time contingent that we go ahead with our plans because we have to stop the privatization of our hospitals or we will lose them. Most people have no idea it is happening and we have to try to stop it. For our rallies, we are asking people to help get out that clear message about Ford privatizing the hospitals.

A message of solidarity and support: please know that we always try to do the right thing. We are working in solidarity and supporting the good work that so many are doing and encourage people to support their local events across the province.

04/14/2026

We agree. We are very lucky to have the healthcare we have in Canada. What this gentleman doesn't talk about is the risk we are at of losing it if the Premier does not reverse the decision to open more private for-profit clinics, It might help people understand the challenges faced by the local hospital if the funding continues to be inadequate. Many are in debt. and yet more staff cuts are happening. How can we work together to keep health care close to home? Join us in one of the rallies for this cause on April 25 in Ottawa or Pembroke.

04/14/2026

Mr Ford is increasing the private-pay options in Ontario and our local hospitals will pay the price in reduced funding, poached staff and as the safety net when things go awry.

Albertans deserve health care based on our need, NOT our ability to pay.

But the UCP government's new private-pay scheme will let people pay out of pocket for diagnostic services without a referral. Put simply: it's legislated queue jumping that puts private profits over patients' care needs.

"Albertans have seen over and over that these schemes never actually pan out as promised, and in reality, reduce public capacity, worsen wait times for patients, and ultimately cost us more. There’s absolutely nothing to suggest this time will be any different,” said FOM's Chris Gallaway.

https://www.friendsofmedicare.org/privatepay_diagnostics_worse_waittimes

04/14/2026

Great news! You don’t have to have a doctor with Ancient Rivers Health Team to initiate on-line services!

Did you know many of our services are available for online self-referral? Allied health services and most nursing services are available to eligible community members even if you don’t have a family doctor with our team.

Skip the phone call and start your referral online today. Visit our website to learn more and access the Ocean portal to get started.

04/10/2026

Come on Renfrew County people! Will you be with us in Ottawa with these folks from Kingston at this important rally? If it is not possible, perhaps you will go to a more general rally in opposition of Doug Ford at the Service Ontario parking lot on the same day. (We are not opposed to the Conservative party, just to the policy of supporting private, for-profit healthcare.)

The KHC has chartered a bus to go to the rally in Ottawa on Saturday, April 25.. Please reserve your spot on the bus.
The bus will leave Kingston at 9:00 am from the Memorial Centre 303 York St.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeA5959kerq48AHavJh79ClYwxcT6InPX7gCcTrMM2DvBIk4g/viewform

04/08/2026

04/08/2026

“Specially trained ICU Critical Care Registered Nurses carry a dedicated phone and respond whenever frontline staff identify concerning changes in a patient’s health, such as sudden shifts in blood pressure, breathing difficulties, or medication-related issues.”

PRH launches nurse-led Critical Care Response Team.

https://www.pemreghos.org/newsroom?newsid=10881

04/08/2026

Get the basic facts about private for-profit healthcare!

04/08/2026

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/how-financially-healthy-is-your-hospital-eastern-ontario-data-reveals-a-grim-picture-9.7151207

A CBC News analysis of hospital financial statements reveals many of eastern Ontario's hospitals have been struggling with their bottom line over the past three years, with about half operating in the red and some borrowing millions from banks. Despite a recent funding boost from the province, advoc...

04/08/2026

"...a healthy planet and healthy people are inseparable." We send a big thank you to the volunteers for the Council of Canadians: Kitchissippi-Ottawa Valley among other local environmental groups for advocating for a health environment on our behalf! We've got each others back.

As celebrates the power of scientific collaboration to protect people, animals and ecosystems, we're also celebrating Dr. David Suzuki's 90th trip around the sun.

With characteristic charisma and clarity, David has championed the truth at the heart of CAPE's work: a healthy planet and healthy people are inseparable. As he said on CBC's The Nature of Things: "We can't draw a line and say, 'Air ends here, and we begin there.' Air is in us, circulating through us, and connects us to the rest of life on the planet. We are air, and whatever we do to that air, we do to ourselves."

CAPE is proud to have Dr. Suzuki as a member of our honorary board. We were honoured that he invited CAPE ON Co-chair Dr. Mili Roy to speak at his Stronger Together tour and that he asked CAPE Past President Dr. Melissa Lem to contribute to his new book, Lessons for a Lifetime.

Dr. Lem’s words say it best: "Thank you, David, for your shining legacy of land, water, air, and biodiversity protection, telling the stories about the environment we all need to hear, and empowering us to do good by example."

David Suzuki Foundation