Fedeli announces $4.7M as North Bay hospital struggles with budget deficit

Province gives $4.7 million top-up to North Bay and Mattawa hospitals, mostly for operations, after union warned North Bay faced up to an $8.2 million deficit.

The Ontario government provided an additional $4.7 million for the Mattawa Hospital and North Bay Regional Health Centre on Monday morning.

The funds arrive as the union that represents hospital staff said the North Bay hospital is facing a major deficit in its upcoming budget.

“They are doing a phenomenal job here at the North Regional Health Centre,” Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli said at the Monday media conference announcing the money.

Most of the new money -- $3.7 million -- is going to North Bay’s hospital operations.

News of the funding follows a rally outside of Fedeli’s Main Street office last month where officials with CUPE -- the union that represents about 1,000 hospital workers -- told reporters the budget deficit for 2026-2027 is currently between $7.5-$8.2 million.

Longer ER waits

“The members here in North Bay (and) the public are going to see those cuts. They’re going to be waiting longer in the ER,” Mike Turgeon, CUPE Local 139 president, said June 8.

Speaking on Monday, Paul Heinrich, the North Bay Regional Health Centre’s president and CEO said hospital administration still has half a year to go “before we’ll know what our final outcome is financially.”

“So, I don’t speak on how we are going to land,” Heinrich said.

The hospital said it was able to whittle its 2025-2026 budget down to what it calls “a very small” deficit.

One of the challenges, Heinrich said, is that in the last three years, patient illness has gone up 10 per cent.

“There’s a correlation between the increase in sickness of our patients,” he said.

“If they don’t have attachment to a primary care provider, then they’re less likely to be tested, screened, and cared for.”

Fedeli said health care spending in Ontario has increased from $60 billion in 2018 to $101 billion this year.

“Each hospital runs their own administration and their own budgets,” he said.

“They apply for the funding that they need and we’re there to supply that.”

The province said the funding will also help patients move from the emergency department to inpatient beds more quickly and improve patient flow to ensure timely access to services such as diagnostic imaging and surgeries.

Money for the Mattawa Hospital will support timely care for patients.