(May 30, 2023)<\/p>\n
By: Hugo Rodrigues, Cornwall Standard Freeholder<\/p>\n
Of the area residents who voted in the Ontario Health Coalition\u2019s referendum on the expansion of the privatization of public hospitals on May 26-27, 99.6 per cent supported the coalition\u2019s call to reinvest in public hospitals.<\/p>\n
Results of the provincewide referendum were announced in communities across Ontario Tuesday morning, with Cornwall\/SDG results being simultaneously shared by the local chapter\u2019s co-chairs in front of both H\u00f4pital Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria and the Cornwall Community Hospital. Louise Lanctot spearheaded the announcement in Alexandria, with Elaine MacDonald handling things in Cornwall.<\/p>\n
MacDonald said the regional chapter decided to make its announcement in the two locations as two of the 19 area in-person polls with the most ballots cast were at Chartrand\u2019s Your Independent Grocer and at Tom\u2019s Pantry\u2014 two Alexandria locations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt shows people are concerned. Their hospital (HGMH) had the most ER closures last year than any other hospital,\u201d MacDonald said before announcing the local vote counts.<\/p>\n
While workplace ballots from Ontario Council of Hospital Unions-led polling stations such as one at CCH are not yet reported, MacDonald said 4,625 ballots were cast at the 19 public polling stations in Cornwall\/SDG. Of those 4,555 supported the Ontario Health Coalition\u2019s call, with 70 opposing it.<\/p>\n
People could also cast a ballot online, entering their postal code so the results could be sifted into the coalition\u2019s various chapter-level results. While these ballots took longer to be counted, MacDonald said 7,261 were cast from postal codes within Cornwall\/SDG, with 7,201 supporting the coalition.<\/p>\n
Based on the Elections Ontario count for the 2022 provincial election, there were 87,263 eligible voters in Stormont\u2014Dundas\u2014South Glengarry, which covers most but not all of the local health coalition\u2019s region. Referendum turnout based on that number would be 13.6 per cent\u2014 the actual turnout was lower as that percentage doesn\u2019t include those popular polls in Alexandria and the rest of North Glengarry.<\/p>\n
MacDonald said the referendum was a remarkable achievement for the coalition. While updated results are scheduled to be presented at Queen\u2019s Park Wednesday morning, she noted the provincewide count to-date had 382,647 ballots cast, with 376,223 (98.3 per cent) supporting the coalition. The number of ballots cast would be equal to 3.6 per cent of eligible voters in the 2022 Ontario election.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the most grassroots\u2026 poll you can have,\u201d MacDonald said. \u201cIt\u2019s truly a citizens\u2019 poll. We\u2019re going to give (the results) to the government. May they use it for their decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n
The coalition fears that Bill 60, and other recent provincial legislation, will push an ever-increasing number of health-care services out of publicly funded hospitals and into privately run, for-profit clinics. It points to recent announcements and examples of such outsourcing in Ottawa as proof its concerns are coming true.<\/p>\n
MacDonald and Lanctot will be among those chapter chairs joining the Ontario Health Coalition at Queen\u2019s Park on Wednesday to announce the latest provincewide results, and present the information to government.<\/p>\n