Forget bilingual status for hospitals, we want access to Ontario care, western Quebecers say

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Forget bilingual status for hospitals, we want access to Ontario care, western Quebecers say

CBC News
Aatefeh Padidar
Apr 04, 2026



Michael Smith hasn’t slept through the night in weeks.

The resident of Kipawa, a small Quebec village near the Ontario border, has been sitting upright in pain, his arm locked in a sling, waiting for a call that hasn’t come.

After a snowmobile accident on March 1, Smith went to the emergency department in the nearby town of Témiscaming, where doctors told him he needed an ultrasound to assess internal damage.

The wait time: four months.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with my arm,” he said. “I’m in constant pain… and I’m just waiting.”

Weeks later, he still has no diagnosis — and no idea if he’ll fully recover.

“I’m doing self-diagnosis at this point,” he added. “But the worst part is not knowing”

As the health authority in Quebec's Abitibi-Témiscamingue region pushes for official bilingual status for its southernmost health facilities to improve access for English speakers, residents say bigger accessibility issues stem from a policy change implemented last year that created a barrier to accessing health care in Ontario.

For years, many relied on hospitals in nearby North Bay, Ont., for faster access to tests, specialists and follow-up care. But that cross-border access has been cut off, forcing patients to seek services deeper within Quebec and often hours away.

(more)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bilingual-status-9.7152173

[mountaineer]

Michael Smith better not complain too loudly, or his government may decide he's better off dead, and give him the MAiD treatment.