(April 25, 2026) By: Rachel Morgan, CityNews<\/p>\n
The Waterloo Region Health Coalition (WRHC) is hosting a rally Saturday afternoon to stand against what they are calling a \u201cdeadly attack\u201d on the public healthcare system.<\/p>\n
Jim Stewart, chair of the WRHC, said there are mounting concerns about the Ford government\u2019s move to privatize healthcare across Ontario.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure people have been listening to the ideas and the comments from the far right,\u201d he told 570 NewsRadio. \u201cBut now we\u2019re seeing this unprecedented and quite frankly, deadly, potentially lethal attack on our universal public healthcare system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ontario has been moving to establish private clinics for the last few years, claiming the move will help reduce wait times for certain procedures.<\/p>\n
But many healthcare advocates have expressed concern that the move is a step towards an Americanized private healthcare system.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen the advent of private clinics that are now extra-charging people to the tune of cataract surgery of around $4,000 per eye if you get it done in a private clinic,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cAnd at the same time, the Ford government is deliberately underfunding our public hospitals so that there are cuts to staff and services or hollowing out our public hospitals that we all cherish.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really all about creating a brand new marketplace, a private marketplace in healthcare, so that private for-profit companies can expand into it and then leap and get the billions of dollars in profits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stewart said it can be confusing for the public when the government continues to announce investments in healthcare, but he said these investments are generally towards private services. He said over $327 million has been redirected away from public hospitals into for-profit clinics. Ontario is planning to open 61 for-profit clinics by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n
The pace of investments into public healthcare is not on par with the pace of population growth and inflation, Stewart added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re talking about radical privatization. And what we hear from the right is that it\u2019s a hybrid model, or it\u2019s a model of public and private, that it\u2019s some sort of compromise or reform to our public healthcare system. But it really isn\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the actual destruction of our single-tier universal health care model that we are very proud of. It\u2019s part of who we are as Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stewart said those looking to get involved can email or write their local MPP, hand out leaflets to get the word out, or join a local healthcare coalition.<\/p>\n
Those in Waterloo Region can join the rally on Saturday at noon at Waterloo Public Square.<\/p>\n