Experts, Liberal MP hope for full ban on sports betting ads as advocates cite mental health decline

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Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-30 14:50:39.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Healthcare, Social Services, Governance]

Bill S-211, introduced in May 2025 by Senator Marty Deacon and sponsored in the House by MP Bardish Chagger, is currently before the House standing committee on Canadian heritage to restrict sports betting ads across Canada. Supporters including Liberal MP Michael Coteau and public policy think-tank Cardus cite a University of Toronto study showing gambling-related emergency room visits nearly doubled in Ontario, alongside a 161 per cent increase in helpline calls among males aged 15-24 since single-game betting was legalized in 2021. Provincial officials from Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec, along with the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, have raised concerns regarding provincial jurisdiction, overlapping regulations, and economic impacts on commercial operators like FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM.

Ontario Funding More Than 2,900 Additional Seats in Northeast Ontario to Prepare Students for In-Demand Careers

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
Date: 2026-10-26 20:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Education, Labour, Healthcare, Economy]

The Ontario government is investing $60 million to fund 2,946 additional postsecondary seats across eight institutions in Northeast Ontario, including Algoma University, Nipissing University, Collège Boréal, Sault College, Northern College, Canadore College, Cambrian College, and Université de Hearst. This funding is part of a broader $1.7 billion investment supporting more than 70,000 new seats province-wide in high-demand sectors such as STEM, health care, education, and trades, with enrollment beginning in the fall 2026 academic year. The initiative is designed to address regional labour market needs and develop a highly skilled workforce within the postsecondary sector.

Ontario Connects Over Half a Million More People to a Family Doctor or Primary Care Team

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-26 14:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors]

The Government of Ontario announced that its $3.4 billion Primary Care Action Plan, led by Dr. Jane Philpott, has connected over 511,000 more people to a family doctor or primary care team and cleared more than 470,000 people from the Health Care Connect waitlist since January 2025. The initiative, supported by funding expansions including an additional $325 million annually in the 2026 Ontario Budget, is on track to attach every resident in the province to primary care by 2029. Collaborating institutions such as Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Vibrant Community Health have implemented local multi-partner models to rapidly expand access for thousands of patients, including equity-deserving populations in North Toronto.

Ontario Providing Free Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines Across the Province

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-26 13:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors]

The Ontario Ministry of Health announced that free flu and COVID-19 vaccines are now available to the general public aged six months and older across participating pharmacies, public health units, and primary care offices. Administered under the province's 'Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care', the initiative recommends co-administration of the vaccines alongside respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations (Abrysvo® or Arexvy) for individuals 75 years and older, specific high-risk adults aged 60 to 74, infants up to eight months born on or after April 1, 2026, and pregnant individuals.

Ontario Funding More Than 2,700 Additional Seats at Toronto Metropolitan University to Prepare Students for In-Demand Careers

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
Date: 2026-10-23 20:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Education, Labour, Economy, Technology, Healthcare]

The Ontario government is investing $73 million to fund 2,776 additional postsecondary seats at Toronto Metropolitan University starting in the fall 2026 academic year. This allocation comprises 2,115 seats for STEM programs, 627 seats for health programs, and 34 seats for education programs. The funding is part of a broader $1.7 billion provincial investment supporting over 70,000 new seats across publicly assisted colleges and universities under a $6.4 billion postsecondary funding model.

Ontario Breaks Ground on New Emergency Department at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-21 16:15:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Infrastructure]

The Ontario government has broken ground on Bluewater Health's Rural Health Capital Improvement Project at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia, backed by a provincial investment of more than $17 million. The project will renovate over 8,200 square feet of existing space—including updates to the emergency department, diagnostic imaging department, and critical infrastructure such as an air handling unit—with construction scheduled to be completed by Fall 2029. This initiative forms part of the province's broader $64 billion 10-year hospital capital plan aimed at modernizing health-care facilities across Ontario.

Ontario Enabling Access to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-20 14:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Technology, Seniors]

The Ontario government is advancing legislative and regulatory changes through the Health Innovation Pathway to enable the sale and use of Health Canada approved over-the-counter hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. Following a 30-day public consultation launched in April 2026, the updated regulations will allow manufacturers of in-ear headphones and earbuds with hearing aid capabilities to activate these features without requiring a prescription. The new measure operates alongside the existing model of care, meaning prescribed hearing aids will continue to be eligible for up to 75 per cent funding assistance (to a maximum of $500) under the Assistive Devices Program, while over-the-counter devices will not be covered.

Ontario Funding More Than 2,000 More Seats in Southwest Ontario to Prepare Students for In-Demand Careers

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
Date: 2026-10-08 20:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Education, Labour, Economy, Healthcare]

The Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security has invested $44 million to fund 2,077 additional postsecondary seats across Southwest Ontario as part of a broader $1.7 billion provincial initiative supporting over 70,000 new seats. Specifically, the University of Windsor received 1,672 newly funded seats (654 for STEM, 549 for health, and 469 for education), Lambton College received 297 seats (160 for health, 90 for STEM, and 47 for trades), and St. Clair College received 108 seats dedicated to health programs. These expansions aim to meet regional labour market needs in high-demand sectors with enrollment beginning in the fall 2026 academic year.

Ontario Expanding Access to Dementia Care in Long-Term Care Homes

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Long-Term Care
Date: 2026-10-08 16:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors, Social Services]

The Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care is investing nearly $13 million to expand the Improving Dementia Care Program (IDCP) and increase Behavioural Specialized Unit (BSU) capacity. Specifically, $3 million will fund the IDCP expansion to 13 additional long-term care homes—including Villa St. Gabriel Villa in Sudbury, which receives $247,545—connecting up to 1,300 additional residents to emotion-based dementia care models by 2027-28. Additionally, the province is committing $9.82 million annually in 2026-27 to fund up to 153 new BSU beds across five long-term care facilities to provide person-centred therapies and divert dementia patients from acute care hospitals.

Ontario Launching New Emergency Department Action Team to Shorten Wait Times

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-07 19:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Infrastructure]

The Ontario government is launching a new Emergency Department Action Team (EDAT) backed by a $47 million investment over four years to reduce wait times across 26 hospital sites. Chaired by Dr. Abdel-Rahman Lawendy, the EDAT will apply Lean methodologies to streamline patient flow and address operational bottlenecks identified during a 2025 pilot project involving The Ottawa Hospital, Windsor Regional Hospital, and Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre. This initiative forms part of the broader provincial strategy outlined in 'Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care' to improve emergency room performance indicators such as ambulance offload times and physician initial assessment wait times.

Ontario Clarifies Longstanding Out-of-Country Drug Funding Process

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-06 21:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Affordability, Governance, Finance]

The Government of Ontario has amended Regulation 552 of the Health Insurance Act to align with its longstanding out-of-country drug funding policy, restricting out-of-country funding to treatments where the drug and administration are publicly funded in Ontario, temporarily unavailable locally, and necessary to prevent death or irreversible tissue damage. According to the Ministry of Health led by Minister Sylvia Jones, the regulatory clarification aims to prevent global pharmaceutical companies from bypassing direct price negotiations with the province and avoids potential health-care system cost increases of up to $5.2 billion annually alongside $170 million in out-of-country treatment requests. This follows a recent Ontario Divisional Court decision concerning out-of-country drug funding, which the government is evaluating alongside options such as an appeal or a negotiated resolution with the applicant.

Ontario Funding More Than 7,500 More Seats in Ottawa to Prepare Students for In-Demand Careers

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
Date: 2026-10-02 21:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Education, Labour, Economy, Healthcare]

The Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security has invested $205 million to fund 7,574 additional postsecondary seats across the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, and Collège La Cité starting in the fall 2026 academic year. This funding is part of a broader $1.7 billion provincial investment supporting over 70,000 new seats in high-demand fields such as STEM, health care, trades, and education. Specifically, the University of Ottawa received 4,128 newly funded seats, Carleton University received 2,328 seats, and Collège La Cité received 1,118 seats to address regional labour market needs and workforce development.

Ontario Opens Kingston HART Hub, Replacing Last Remaining Provincial Drug Injection Site

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-02 14:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Social Services, Public Safety]

The Government of Ontario has opened the Kingston Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub at 661 Montreal Street, marking the final deployment of all 29 provincially funded HART Hubs supported by an overall investment of more than $560 million. Lead agency Addiction and Mental Health Services — Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (AMHS-KFLA), alongside partners including Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Peer Support South East Ontario, will operate the facility to provide integrated care, primary health services, and over 50 transitional and supportive housing units. This opening officially replaces Ontario's last remaining provincially funded drug injection site, fulfilling a provincial policy shift prohibiting safer supply, supervised consumption, or needle distribution at HART Hubs while complying with 2024 legislative restrictions banning drug injection sites within 200 metres of schools and child-care centres.

Ontario Funding More Than 5,200 More Seats at York University to Prepare Students for In-Demand Careers

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
Date: 2026-09-29 20:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Education, Labour, Economy, Healthcare]

The Ontario government is investing $101 million to fund 5,260 additional postsecondary seats at York University as part of a broader $1.7 billion investment supporting over 70,000 new seats across the province's postsecondary sector. The newly funded seats at York University comprise 3,814 seats for STEM programs, 748 seats for health programs, and 698 seats for education programs, with student enrollment beginning as early as the fall 2026 academic year. Administered through the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, this initiative is tied to a historic $6.4 billion postsecondary funding model designed to address regional labour market needs and economic competitiveness.

Ontario Launches Call for Proposals to Connect 600,000 More People to Primary Care

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-09-29 15:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare]

The Ontario Ministry of Health launched a $250 million call for proposals to create and expand approximately 78 primary care teams, aiming to connect 600,000 residents to primary care providers. Led by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, this funding is part of the broader $3.4 billion Primary Care Action Plan designed to ensure every Ontarian is connected to a family doctor or primary care team by 2029. Eligible communities, physicians, and health organizations can apply through local Ontario Health Teams or Primary Care Networks, building on previous funding rounds that have successfully added 199 teams to connect 800,000 people since 2025.

As federal budget nears, Canada’s health ministers to meet to talk funding

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-09-28 22:20:24.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Healthcare, Finance]

Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial health ministers are convening for an emergency meeting ahead of the upcoming federal budget to address concerns over the upcoming expiration of targeted healthcare funding. Provincial leaders, including Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones, warn of a fiscal cliff as bilateral agreements for home care, community care, and mental health and addiction services—part of the 2023 federal funding package totaling $200 billion over 10 years, which included $4.8 billion for home and community care and mental health, $3 billion for long-term care safety, and $1.7 billion for personal support worker wages—are set to sunset between 2026 and 2028. Additionally, the federal government's Canada Health Transfer growth rate is scheduled to drop from a guaranteed minimum of five percent annually to three percent after fiscal year 2027-28.

Ontario Protecting Communities from Respiratory Illnesses

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-09-25 17:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors]

The Ontario Ministry of Health, led by Minister Sylvia Jones and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore, announced its fall 2026 immunization programs targeting respiratory illnesses, including influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. Initial supplies of COVID-19 and flu vaccines will become available starting the week of September 28, 2026, for high-risk groups such as hospitalized patients, hospital staff, long-term care residents and staff, and individuals aged 65 and older, before expanding to the general public on October 26, 2026. Additionally, the adult RSV prevention program covers individuals aged 60 to 74 meeting high-risk criteria or living in specific settings, as well as those 75 and older using vaccines such as Abrysvo® or Arexvy, while newborns, infants up to eight months old, and high-risk children up to 24 months are eligible for Beyfortus® starting October 1, 2026.

Ontario Celebrates Opening of New Long-Term Care Home in Milton

Source: Ontario - Premier's Office
Date: 2026-09-23 15:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors, Infrastructure, Housing]

The Ontario government celebrated the grand opening of The Village of Ridgeview Court in Milton, a 192-space long-term care home operated by Schlegel Villages Inc. The project is part of the province's target to build 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care spaces under the 2026 Ontario Budget and the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021. The three-storey facility features all private rooms organized into six resident home areas and created over 250 construction jobs alongside 200 permanent positions.

Ontario Funding Nearly 2,000 More Seats at Humber Polytechnic to Prepare Students for In-Demand Careers

Source: Ontario - Premier's Office
Date: 2026-09-18 14:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Education, Labour, Healthcare, Economy, Infrastructure]

The Government of Ontario has invested $32 million to fund 1,971 additional seats at Humber Polytechnic as part of a broader $1.7 billion initiative to support over 70,000 new postsecondary seats across the province. The new seats at Humber Polytechnic, available starting in the fall 2026 academic year, include 1,187 spaces for health care programs, 428 for STEM programs, and 356 for skilled trades programs. This funding is part of a historic $6.4 billion investment in Ontario's postsecondary sector aimed at developing a highly skilled workforce to support regional labour market needs and economic competitiveness.

Ontario Funding More Than 2,800 More Seats in Durham to Prepare Students for In-Demand Careers

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
Date: 2026-09-17 21:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Education, Labour, Economy, Healthcare]

The Ontario government is investing $79 million to fund 2,861 additional postsecondary seats at Ontario Tech University and Durham College beginning in the fall 2026 academic year. This funding is part of a broader $1.7 billion initiative supporting over 70,000 new seats across the province in high-demand sectors such as STEM, health care, trades, and education. Ontario Tech University is receiving 2,523 newly funded seats, while Durham College is receiving 338 seats to address regional labour market needs and workforce development.