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Writer's pictureErin Ariss

Backroom deals show it’s time to hold Ford to account on health care

Jul 9, 2024

Doug Ford with former health minister Christine Elliott

With rumours swirling over an early provincial election call, it’s time for all citizens of Ontario to think about their priorities for their communities and this province.


As a recent news report detailed, our provincial government has made what appears to be a backroom deal to benefit a large private care provider at the expense of citizens. City of Ottawa land intended to be used for non-profit public health care is being handed over for $1 to a large corporation to expand its empire of profit-generating long-term care and retirement homes.


The corporation will build a for-profit seniors’ retirement community including a 256-bed long-term care facility and an adjoining 15-storey retirement residence on land near The Ottawa Hospital’s Riverside site and a long-term care home with 320 new beds on the current site of its Civic hospital campus.


The corporation – Schlegel Villages – is facing a $110 million class-action lawsuit for gross negligence of long-term care residents in its care during the pandemic. The corporation is also a generous donor to Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative party.


Not only is this a backroom deal between Ford and Schlegel Villages, notorious for its low-quality resident care, but it also involved The Ottawa Hospital CEO Cameron Love.


This deal is just the latest on a long list of health-care changes made under the Ford government. In this case, the CEO of a publicly funded hospital is working hand-in-hand with the government and for-profit corporations to advance privatization, together. We must hold them all accountable.




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