Conservatives have ‘abandoned’ rural health care: Ontario Green leader

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner made a campaign stop in Chesley to discuss healthcare qualms. CTV London's Scott Miller was there.

Ontario’s Green Party leader Mike Schreiner spent his morning in Chesley outside the town’s hospital - which has seen rolling emergency department closures for the past five years.

“Doug Ford has abandoned rural communities, especially rural health care. The hospital here has had more emergency department closures than pretty much any hospital in the entire province of Ontario, and we’ve heard from folks who live here how important it is to be able to access health care here,” said Schreiner, while standing in the Chesley Hospital’s parking lot amongst supporters today. “I’m just reiterating the Ontario Green Party’s commitment to ensure that everyone in Ontario has access to a family doctor, that we will invest in our health care to ensure that hospitals like this one remain open.”

Schreiner said that Chesley’s hospital is the poster child for government inaction on rural healthcare. The community’s emergency department saw rolling closures start in September 2019. Following a full 8 week closure in late 2023, the current ER hours were adopted at the end of 2023 - currently the hospital is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday .

Since then, Chesley’s ER closes it’s doors every night, and every weekend. A shortage of nurses is to blame, say hospital officials.

The government says they’ve upped primary healthcare funding in Ontario by 50 per cent since 2017, and just announced $1.8 billion to connect 2 million orphan patients in Ontario with a family doctor by 2029.

“Well, the Ford government’s had seven years to make these investments, and they failed to do it, and it’s just not fair. It’s not fair for rural communities, it’s not fair for the people who live here that they don’t have access to basic health care. Ontario Greens, we’re going to fight for fairness for communities like this, to keep their hospitals open and to make sure they have access to good quality health care,” said Schreiner.

Chesley is within the riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. It’s been a Conservative stronghold for several decades, but local supporters and local Green candidate Joel Loughead hope a visit from the provincial leader might change that.

“I think people are seeing that the provincial party has been ignoring rural communities, especially around health care. And, I think people are tired of it. And I think they’re going to come out and use their voice and their vote and see change, and support health care in Ontario,” said local resident, Hazel Pratt, who has helped fight to keep Chesley’s ER open since 2019.

Schreiner - like most of the opposition leaders - believes the focus of this election should be on healthcare, and the government’s record on it.

“I’m sick and tired of Ontario being last. Last when it comes to per capita funding for health care in all of Canada,” he said.

Schreiner spent the morning in Chesley, before moving onto Hanover Friday afternoon to meet with voters.