It wasn’t hard to spot the Renfrew County Health Coalition touring the Ottawa Valley on Monday morning.
Chairperson Leona Haley says passersby were eager to learn about the message behind the 15-foot-tall trojan horse they brought to hospitals in Renfrew, Pembroke, and Mattawa that morning.
The trojan horse is part of a larger effort with the Ontario Health Coalition to get the greater public behind a pushback to what they describe as the provincial government’s ongoing effort to siphon money out of the public health care system in favour of for-profit organizations.
The province’s budget estimates for the past two years point out cuts to public health care that keep funding below the rate of inflation at 0.5%, while the Ford government has more than tripled their funding for private clinics up to 212%.
It’s left the government using tax dollars to pay double for some surgeries, a problem that the Renfrew County Health Coalition says requires the community to come together in order to address.
Haley says Renfrew County has the potential to influence the discussion as they try to get answers from the province, noting that special interest groups such as Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan could also push for the federal representatives to enter the discussion.
The trojan horse will continue its tour of Ontario before returning to the Ottawa Valley to make stops in Almonte, Arnprior, and Carleton Place on November 5th.
In the mean time, Haley urges residents to stand up for themselves and become part of the conversation by joining protests and sharing information with people in their neighbourhood.
(written by Kasey Egan with files from Sherry Haaima)