Hundreds of concerned Windsor residents braved the cold Saturday afternoon to voice their opposition to what they describe as the provincial government’s steady march toward healthcare privatization. The demonstration, organized by the Ontario Health Coalition in partnership with several local unions, saw passionate healthcare advocates gather at Charles Clark Square with a clear message: keep Ontario’s healthcare system public.
“What we’re seeing is not just isolated policy changes—it’s a systematic dismantling of public healthcare through the back door,” said Tracey Ramsey, co-chair of the Windsor Health Coalition, addressing the animated crowd. “Every service that moves from our hospitals to private clinics is a step away from equitable care for all Ontarians.”
The rally comes in response to the Ford government’s continued expansion of private healthcare delivery, including the controversial Bill 60, which critics argue will divert resources from public hospitals to for-profit clinics. Protestors specifically highlighted concerns about increased surgical procedures being performed in private facilities, warning of potential impacts on accessibility for average citizens.
Windsor Regional Hospital nurse Brenda Vickers, who has worked in the public system for over two decades, told CO24 News that privatization threatens the founding principles of Canada’s healthcare model.
“I’ve watched resources being stretched thinner each year while private options expand,” Vickers explained. “When healthcare becomes profit-driven, decisions are made based on financial returns, not patient outcomes. We’re creating a two-tier system where quality care depends on your ability to pay.”
Local physician Dr. Amit Sharma echoed these concerns, pointing to international examples where privatization has led to increased healthcare inequality. “The evidence from countries that have gone down this path shows longer wait times in the public system as resources and staff migrate to more lucrative private facilities,” Sharma said during his address to attendees.
The demonstration is one of many being held across Ontario as part of a coordinated campaign to maintain pressure on provincial lawmakers. According to CO24 Canada sources, similar rallies have drawn significant support in Toronto, Ottawa, and London in recent weeks.
Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie, who represents the Progressive Conservative government locally, was invited but did not attend the rally. His office later released a statement defending the government’s healthcare strategy as necessary to address surgical backlogs exacerbated by the pandemic.
“Our government remains committed to a strong public healthcare system,” the statement read. “The partnerships with independent health facilities are about ensuring Ontarians get the care they need faster, while maintaining the principle that care is based on health card, not credit card.”
However, rally organizers presented data suggesting that for-profit facilities actually increase costs to the healthcare system while reducing access for vulnerable populations. Signs bearing slogans such as People Before Profits and Healthcare is a Right dominated the landscape as speakers took turns at the microphone.
The Ontario Health Coalition has announced plans for continued mobilization, including a province-wide day of action scheduled for early March. Local organizers encouraged attendees to contact their representatives and participate in upcoming public consultations on healthcare delivery.
As Ontario grapples with unprecedented pressures on its healthcare system, the fundamental question emerges with greater urgency: will the pursuit of efficiency through privatization ultimately strengthen our healthcare foundations, or erode the universal access that Canadians have long considered a defining national value?
