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doady said:
I interpret Ford's remarks as more broadly anti-democratic rather than anything specific against indigenous people. It is just part of a much larger pattern of power-hungry and anti-democratic initiatives and statements Ford has made over the years, including his public attacks on judges, his attempt to dismantle the Greenbelt and roll back other environmental protections, the weakening of environmental assessments, the limiting of consultations and community inputs on new projects all over the province, and taking control of bike lanes away from the City of Toronto.
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2 things with that...

1) All forms of bigotry is anti-democratic...
2) Even if Doug wasn't targeting them because they where indigenous, it sure wasn't a great look.
 
The province out this morning trumpeting 35 new community clinics delivering CT/MRI services and 22 more that will be able to do Endoscopy.

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca news.ontario.ca

From the above:

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In and of itself I don't have a problem with this. However, I have some concern as to whether the government is paying the same per scan as it does in hospitals (it has paid extra in the past for services outside hospitals which seems
illogical); I also would like to see some of these owned by hospitals, this has been done in London with an offsite facility.

This should reduce wait times further; but they are still quite long, I'm not sure its sufficient, I did a comparison to other countries on scanner rates not so long ago, and it showed Ontario lagging badly.

This also doesn't cover PET Scans, the wait for which the government does not disclose on its wait times site.
 

Ontario Taking Action to Restore School Board Financial Stability​

Province appoints supervisors to four school boards to ensure every dollar spent is invested in students’ success

From https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1006127/ontario-taking-action-to-restore-school-board-financial-stability

Following recommendations resulting from investigations into the finances of four school boards, the Ontario government is appointing supervisors to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB). These supervisors will address concerns regarding growing deficits, depleting reserves and ongoing cases of mismanagement. As part of its plan to protect Ontario and ensure students are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow, these actions will help the province restore sound financial management at these school boards and ensure that every dollar invested is preparing students with practical skills for good-paying, stable careers.

“Each of these boards has failed in its responsibilities to parents and students by losing sight of its core mission — ensuring student success,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Education. “We’re strengthening oversight and accountability so that parents can have the confidence that every dollar is spent responsibly to directly benefit students. I have made it clear that if a school board veers off its mandate, I will take action to restore focus, rebuild trust and put students first.”

Ontario continues to provide record funding for education, including $30.3 billion in education funding in 2025-26, $2 billion to renew and improve schools, and $1.3 billion through the Capital Priorities program to support new schools and expansions. Operating funding provides transparent and equitable support across all school boards that reflects the uniqueness of students and communities across the province. Individual school boards determine how to allocate their funding and are expected to budget responsibly and focus resources on students.

Individual investigations concluded that each of these boards should be placed under supervision due to growing deficits and depleting reserves. Each board has exhibited instances of mismanagement and poor decision-making that put its long-term financial health at risk, including the following:
  • Over the past two years, the TDSB rejected 46 per cent of proposed cost-savings brought forward by management. The board also relies heavily on unsustainable proceeds from asset sales to balance its books.
  • The TCDSB tripled its in-year deficit compared to last year and is at risk of default in the coming years, with further concerns regarding the lack of a financial recovery plan.
  • The OCDSB has completely depleted its reserves, incurred an accumulated deficit, and plans to use unsustainable proceeds from asset sales to balance its books.
  • The DPCDSB is at risk of financial default by August 31, 2025, which would lead the board to default on payments and financial obligations.
The appointed supervisors bring extensive experience in government, financial management and public accountability, and were selected for their strong track records of leadership and oversight. These supervisors will represent the ministry’s vested control, overseeing and managing the administration of the boards, including financial management, policy implementation and operational oversight. They will provide the ministry with regular updates on their work, focus on addressing the deteriorating financial positions of the boards and identify where they can implement savings measures and improve operational efficiencies.

These actions reflect the government’s continued focus on upholding public trust in Ontario’s publicly funded education system and are a part of the government’s plan to build a strong, accountable and well-supported public education system with a back-to-basics approach that is focused on improving student outcomes.
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Doug Ford likes the uneducated (like Donald Trump).

In high school, he skipped classes. Rumours are he did not graduate, and only attended Humber College as a "mature student" (and dropped out after two months).

Doug Ford refuses to properly fund education. Doug is no Bill Davis, who was a former Progressive Conservative Premier of Ontario.
 
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Finally if only to force the boards to divest some surplus land/buildings! Let’s start with the immense lot at Parliament/Shuter that is empty.
 
Monarch Butterfly said:

Ontario Taking Action to Restore School Board Financial Stability​

Province appoints supervisors to four school boards to ensure every dollar spent is invested in students’ success

From https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1006127/ontario-taking-action-to-restore-school-board-financial-stability



Doug Ford likes the uneducated (like Donald Trump).

In high school, he skipped classes. Rumours are he did not graduate, and only attended Humber College as a "mature student" (and dropped out after two months).

Doug Ford refuses to properly fund education. Doug is no Bill Davis, who was a former Progressive Conservative Premier of Ontario.
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On one hand, can you blame him? He became the most powerful person in the province despite his mediocre education and intelligence. 🤣
 
rdaner said:
Finally if only to force the boards to divest some surplus land/buildings! Let’s start with the immense lot at Parliament/Shuter that is empty.
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While the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) owns a significant amount of real estate and has faced budget challenges, it cannot freely sell school buildings due to provincial regulations and other factors. The TDSB is restricted by provincial rules regarding the sale of school property, including the requirement to sell at fair market value, which can hinder some potential deals. Additionally, there's a moratorium on closing schools, further limiting the board's ability to consolidate and sell properties.
 
rdaner said:
Finally if only to force the boards to divest some surplus land/buildings! Let’s start with the immense lot at Parliament/Shuter that is empty.
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The Province forbids most school closings and allows very few school site sales. The Parliament/Shuter lot is a large site and would be great for a NEW/Replacement Catholic school. Now the Province has sent in its 'experts' to supervise both TDSB and TCSB, it may become clearer to Ford that at least part of the problem is that both have too many 'assets' in some area and not enough in others but their rules prohibit remediation.
 

Cataract billing by private clinics is subject of complaints by health-care group against Ontario and Ottawa​

From https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/cataract-billing-by-private-clinics-is-subject-of-complaints-by-health-care-group-against-ontario/article_9d7eedaf-659b-4a14-b80d-0db3ffe2013b.html

Ontario Health Coalition made complaints on behalf of 50 patients who say they experienced extra-billing when getting surgeries at private clinics.

A public health-care advocacy group is calling on the Ontario and federal governments to investigate what it describes as “exploitative and predatory” instances of extra-billing by private clinics for cataract surgeries around the province.

According to the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), clinics routinely charge patients for cataract surgeries that should be covered under OHIP and to skip reportedly long wait times. Both practices are known as extra-billing and are illegal under Ontario law and the Canada Health Act.

Cataract surgery is considered a “medically necessary surgery” by the province, so even if a person opts to go to a private clinic they shouldn’t be billed for the basic OHIP-covered procedure, which includes eye measurements. It is also illegal for doctors to charge patients to give them speedier care, although the OHC claims ophthalmologists will often say wait times are longer than they actually are to encourage patients to pay money.

On top of the extra-billing, the OHC alleges private clinics are charging patients for add-ons, including specialty lenses, under the guise that they are medically necessary for cataracts.

“These are exploitative and predatory practices against patients,” said Natalie Mehra, the executive director of the OHC, at a virtual press conference Tuesday morning announcing separate complaints addressed to the Ontario and federal ministers of health that include patient reports and bills.

The Star has previously reported on similar cases involving patients — many of whom are older and worried about losing their vision — paying from hundreds to thousands of dollars for their cataract surgeries after feeling pressured by private ophthalmologists to pay out of pocket for so-called faster or better care.

The OHC made its two complaints on behalf of 50 patients, four of whom were at Tuesday’s press conference to share their experiences navigating the private clinic system.
“I was shocked,” said Diana Ralph from Ottawa. “It felt like being in a car dealership.”

In 2024, Ralph went to two separate private clinics to get surgery for her cataracts. She paid the first clinic $1,300 to jump what she was told was a wait-list more than a year long. But after that clinic said she would still have to wait a year for her surgery despite paying out of pocket, she went to another private ophthalmologist, where she paid over $1,000 to remove the cataracts on only one of her eyes.


Meanwhile, Maureen Munro said she paid nearly $7,000 for her surgeries when she went to what her optometrist allegedly described as “the best eye surgeon” in London in 2022.

“Being on a pension, it’s tough,” Munro said. “Nobody has that amount sitting around.” She said she had to borrow money from her bank to pay for her operation.

The complaints come at a time when the provincial government continues to expand the number of privately run surgical and diagnostic centres performing cataract procedures, a move first announced two years ago.

Along with investigations, the OHC wants the province to reimburse patients who say they have been overcharged and to fine the clinics that are found to have done extra-billing.

As for the federal government, the coalition wants Ottawa to “bring Ontario” into compliance with the Canada Health Act — which allows the federal government to claw back a certain amount of funding for a province’s medicare program if the provincial government finds that extra-billing has taken place.

Health Canada did not reply to the Star’s request for comment by publication, while Ontario’s Ministry of Health directed the Star to its previous statements when asked for comment on the OHC’s complaint.

“This is a repeated story by the OHC, and as such, we have nothing further to add at this time,” the ministry wrote in an email Tuesday.
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The provincial Ministry of Health previously told the Star that 32,000 people had publicly funded cataract surgery at community surgical and diagnostic centres in 2024, and that it is working to ensure “people are accessing the care they need with their OHIP card, never their credit card.”

At Tuesday’s press conference, Mehra said Premier Doug Ford used the same line when his government passed Bill 60: Your Health Act in 2023 — legislation that allowed private clinics to provide certain publicly funded services as a way to reduce long wait times.

“What has happened is the complete opposite,” Mehra said. “This benefits private clinics and doesn’t benefit patients.”
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1942184169741619641
 
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Monarch Butterfly said:
Why does Premier Doug Ford keep on trying to push American healthcare on Ontario?
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I think this came up during the last federal election with Poilievre's advisor being tied in with Loblaws but IIRC if the provinces decimate public healthcare it allows private pharmacies (see: Shoppers, amongst others) and their adjacents to move into the area vacated by public money.

If you ever have a question as to why Ford does something it's usually something to do with developers, private corporations, or big industry in some way.

See the below release from two years ago:

corporate.shoppersdrugmart.ca

Shoppers Drug Mart Opens Its First Pharmacy Care Clinics in Ontario

Brampton, ON, July 25, 2023 – Today, Shoppers Drug Mart opened the doors to its first Pharmacy Care Clinics in the province, a significant step on the path to making care more accessible and convenient for Ontarians. The first two clinics, located in the Headon Plaza in Burlington and Meadowvale...
corporate.shoppersdrugmart.ca

Brampton, ON, July 25, 2023 – Today, Shoppers Drug Mart opened the doors to its first Pharmacy Care Clinics in the province, a significant step on the path to making care more accessible and convenient for Ontarians. The first two clinics, located in the Headon Plaza in Burlington and Meadowvale Town Centre in Mississauga, will offer patients access to a range of pharmacy healthcare services, including the assessment and treatment of injuries and common ailments such as urinary tract infections and pink eye. The clinics are fully integrated with the pharmacies, which have undergone an extensive redesign to improve the overall patient experience.
 
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