
Some Ontario mayors against communities' financial incentives to attract doctors
Several Ontario mayors have been calling on the province to ban financial incentives municipalities use to lure in doctors, saying the recruitment tactic is harming communities that can't pony up the cash – especially those in rural and northern regions.
But Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker is going even further, suggesting the federal government should outlaw the practice from 'coast to coast.'
'I think it should be banned across the country actually,' he said in a recent interview. A doctor wears a lab coat and stethoscope in an exam room at a health clinic in Calgary, Friday, July 14, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Shoemaker said his city needs 40 more doctors, including 18 to practise family medicine, and while it does offer a moving allowance of up $10,000, it is not in a position to compete with municipalities that are offering doctors tens of thousands of dollars to relocate.
'We think incentives are bad and we don't agree with them, and so we're not at this point supportive of getting into a competition on incentives because it is a competition we will lose,' he said.
Shoemaker said he asked Ontario's health minister to intervene and stop the practice during a meeting they had last August. But he said there seems to be no appetite for such a move in Ontario unless there is 'more widespread acceptance of banning of incentives' across the country.
'We don't want to become the place that is having all its doctors taken away from us,' he said.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said the government has made big investments to connect more Ontarians with doctors, but didn't directly respond to a question on whether it would consider banning municipalities' financial incentives.
Shoemaker isn't the only one raising concern over the use of incentive-based programs to address Ontario's doctor shortage.
Todd Kasenberg, the mayor of North Perth, is also encouraging the province to ban cash incentives, which he calls a 'mistake.'
'We've entered an arms race and typically there aren't any winners in an arms race,' he said in an interview.
Kasenberg said around 3,000 of 17,000 people in his town north of London, Ont., are currently without a family doctor. With expected retirements in the next few years, the doctor shortage will be severe if officials can't recruit fast enough.
'So it's a substantial issue and met with a lot of frustration in the community, a lot of anxiety,' he added.
He said the town is expected to welcome four medical residents from Western University this year. Council approved spending $50,000 to provide housing support for those residents, even though Kasenberg said he was personally 'uncomfortable' with the move.
He hopes the recruits will stay in town beyond their residency period.
London Mayor Josh Morgan and Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal have also publicly criticized municipalities' financial incentives for doctor recruitment.
Ontario's long-standing shortage of primary care providers affects millions of patients in every corner of the province, but advocates say rural communities are hit harder because they have fewer hospitals and walk-in clinics.
Experts have long warned that hefty financial incentives offered to doctors are widening the health-care access gap between poorer rural towns and richer urban centres.
Some say while the incentives might work, particularly in recruiting new graduates and medical residents who have education loans to repay, they don't serve to retain doctors in those communities.
'I think it is much more effective to be able to, from a retention standpoint, to support new grads by helping them to manage their schedule, add work slowly, avoid the risk of burnout,' said Dr. Sarah Newbery, a family physician in Marathon, Ont., a rural community 300 kilometres east of Thunder Bay.
'If they're too busy from the get-go, they will not be easy to retain.'
Newbery knows a thing or two about retention – she was one of six young physicians who moved to Marathon nearly three decades ago and ended the town's chronic doctor shortage.
At that time, Marathon was about to lose its only emergency department and the fate of the entire hospital was up in the air. The local physician recruitment committee even had burlap sacks ready to cover the hospital signs on the nearby highway.
'It was probably the most underserviced community certainly in the province, maybe in the country,' Newbery said.
She said the town gave the entire group $10,000 in bonuses — a little over $1,600 each — and housing support that included two years of free rent for some. But those incentives were not a deciding factor for Newbery and her partner to stay in Marathon for 29 years.
She said what kept that group of physicians in town was a collective commitment to provide better care for the community as well as an understanding of a healthy work and life balance. Marathon is home to six physicians now, and has only one doctor vacancy at a time when other rural communities are in a health-care crisis.
Instead of offering cash bonuses, Newbery suggested the money should be invested in making towns more welcoming and appealing to doctors in the long run.
Around 525,000 Ontarians who live in rural areas have no access to primary care, and that number is increasing four times faster compared to urban centres, according to data provided by the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association.
Christy Lowry, the association's chair, said improving access to health care, recruiting physicians and medical workers, and making sure local emergency rooms remain operational are 'top priority' for the association.
'All of those pieces are part of what we're focused on right now, and we can see how the lack of these services are negatively impacting our communities and the well-being of our communities,' she said.
Lowry, who is also the mayor of Mississippi Mills, a rural community east of Ottawa, said while her town has a modern hospital with 'tremendous service,' the shortage of primary care providers is a problem for residents, some of whom are travelling as far as Kingston to see their doctors.
The association estimates Ontario municipalities are spending nearly half a billion dollars on health care annually.
'Property tax dollars should be going to core municipal priorities. They were never designed to pay for health services,' Lowry said in a recent interview.
'The problem is there's a shortage. (We) don't have enough, so it becomes this competition between one community and the next.'
In northern communities, more than 350 doctors — including more than 200 family physicians — are needed to fill current vacancies, and that number is much higher if retirements expected over the next five years are factored in, according to the Ontario Medical Association.
The association's former president, Dr. Dominik Nowak, said that's 'unacceptable.'
The shortage had led to fierce competition for physicians.
'There are winners and losers when we have a situation like this and oftentimes the communities that can't afford to recruit and retain are northern and rural communities,' he said last month before his tenure ended.
Nowak said while municipalities should help create a welcoming environment for doctors and their families, ultimately it is the province's job to ensure communities have proper access to health care.
'It's a symptom of a larger problem,' Nowak said of incentive-based programs. 'The larger problem is that family practice is no longer seen as a viable career choice for new graduates.'
Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up
The Ministry of Health said the province has added 15,000 doctors and increased the number of family physicians by 10 per cent since 2018.
Ministry spokesperson Ema Popovic said the government is adding close to 1,500 family doctors in rural and northern areas as part of two different programs, which include bringing in foreign-trained doctors and providing education funds for students interested in working in those communities.
She said Ontario aims to connect everyone in the province to a primary care provider by 2029 as part of a $1.8-billion investment.
The province recently said there will be 'significant investments' in the Rural and Northern Physician Group Agreement primary care model. There will also be a new program called the Rural Emergency Medicine Coverage Investment Fund, which is meant to ensure appropriate doctor staffing levels year-round, and it replaces a now-expired temporary program that incentivized doctors to fill those shifts in rural and northern ERs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2025.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Cision Canada
42 minutes ago
- Cision Canada
CCRAN Announces Its Third Annual Pan-Tumour Biomarkers Conference: Transforming Cancer Care for Patients Through Precision Medicine, Policy, and Partnerships
TORONTO, /CNW/ - The Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN) proudly announces its third annual Pan-Tumour Biomarkers Conference, taking place virtually June 19 - 20, 2025. As the role of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and biomarker-driven treatments become increasingly vital in cancer care, this event reaffirms CCRAN's position at the forefront of Canada's precision medicine movement. The 2025 Conference arrives at a critical time. With provinces and territories working to align clinical innovation with system delivery, this year's event brings together leaders across healthcare, policy, research, industry, and patient communities to explore what it will take to embed comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) into the fabric of cancer care - consistently, efficiently, and with long-term sustainability in mind. With a curated agenda centered on health system readiness, policy development and advocacy strategies, the Conference will drive widespread integration of genomic testing, specifically CGP, across cancer care in Canada. From laboratory infrastructure to funding models and clinical adoption, speakers will explore both the science and systems behind matching patients with the most effective treatments for their unique cancer profile. A key highlight of the 2025 Conference is the keynote presentation by the Conference Board of Canada, wherein a groundbreaking cost-benefit analysis will be unveiled to showcase the transformative value of CGP across five tumour types – lung, colorectal, breast, pancreatic and prostate. This study will demonstrate not only the substantial return on investment in modernizing Canada's testing landscape, but more importantly, quantify the profound benefits to patients, including improved survival outcomes, enhanced quality of life, reduced treatment toxicity, and faster access to targeted therapies. This critical data will inform policy decisions and provide compelling evidence for healthcare leaders to accelerate the adoption of precision medicine, ultimately ensuring Canadian cancer patients receive the most effective, personalized care possible. The event also builds on CCRAN's continued efforts to mobilize support for biomarker-driven cancer care through education, policy dialogue, and cross-sector partnerships. CCRAN has played a vital role in amplifying the urgency of public access to biomarker testing and is also helping to align national conversations around the need for timely, standardized, and publicly funded diagnostics. " Precision oncology must be accessible to every Canadian metastatic cancer patient, regardless of geography or circumstance," said Filomena Servidio-Italiano, President & CEO, CCRAN. " This Conference brings together the expertise and momentum required to overcome barriers and chart a clear path forward for advancing genomic testing in Canada's cancer care system." The Conference is designed for healthcare professionals, health system administrators, researchers, policy leaders, patients, caregivers, and all those invested in building a more personalized and equitable future for cancer care in Canada. CCRAN extends its heartfelt gratitude to our premier partners - Merck, AstraZeneca, Roche, Johnson & Johnson - for their unwavering commitment to advancing equitable access to precision medicine in Canada. The organization also expresses its sincere appreciation to the balance of the Conference sponsors as well as the dedicated patient advocacy group partners whose collaboration ensures that the patient voice remains at the heart of every initiative. Registration is free. All sessions will be hosted virtually and made available for post-event viewing. To register and view the full agenda, visit: About CCRAN: The Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN) is a national, patient-focused advocacy group that champions the health and well-being of Canadians touched by colorectal cancer, and others at risk of developing the disease. They provide support, education, and advocacy to patients (and their caregivers) to help improve patients' quality of life, as well as their longevity.


Cision Canada
3 hours ago
- Cision Canada
RADIATION SAFETY INSTITUTE OF CANADA HOSTS SAFETY PARTNER AWARENESS BREAKFAST TO MARK MILESTONE 45TH ANNIVERSARY
Radiation Safety Institute of Canada to host annual Radiation Safety Partner Awareness Breakfast The Institute was founded in 1980 as a response to Ontario's Elliot Lake disaster The Institute is a unique organization in Canada; it is the only independent-of-industry and government not-for-profit body solely dedicated to radiation safety TORONTO, June 12, 2025 /CNW/ - 2025 marks the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada 's 45th anniversary. The Institute is an independent, national organization dedicated to radiation safety. For over four decades, the Institute has served Canadians as a trusted national voice of scientific integrity, providing "Good Science in Plain Language"® answers to complex radiation-related issues. To mark the 45th anniversary, the Institute will host its annual Radiation Safety Partner Awareness Breakfast. This event will be held tomorrow on Friday, June 13, at 9:00 AM at Hart House on the University of Toronto 's St. George Campus. The breakfast reception will bring together key partners of the Institute from the province of Ontario and beyond. Note the in-person event is sold out but online registrants are still welcome. Click here to register as an online participant. Event details as follows: Guest of honour is Dr. Joel Moody, Ontario Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) and Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Keynote speaker is Dr. Tanja Perko, Senior Researcher, Scientific Project Leader and Professor at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN) and at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. The meeting will introduce topics relevant to health and safety in every industry. With the help of Dr Tanja Perko, our keynote speaker, we shall explore the topic of risk communications and risk perception and as it relates to the safety conversation at large, new technologies and radiation safety, in particular. In the world of rapidly changing technologies, from Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to hand-held X-Ray machines, the organization is steadfast in its commitment to provide Canadian workplaces, schools, and communities with independent radiation safety guidance based on quality scientific information and best practices. The Institute was founded in 1980 as a direct, independent response to the human disaster in the Elliot Lake uranium mines, where healthy miners had been exposed to excessive amounts of radon gas and radon progeny in the underground mining environment. Key quote: "The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada was established to ensure that a radiation disaster like or such as Elliot Lake mines never happens again. Back in the 1980s, the Institute's mission was to save lives, and we carry that proud legacy today. 45 years later, the Institute continues to honor its beginnings and serve uranium miners while providing a broad range of services to almost every industrial and societal sector in Canada." – Natalia Mozayani, President and CEO, Radiation Safety Institute of Canada.


Cision Canada
6 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Fraser Institute News Release: 84% of Swiss hospitals and 60% of hospitalizations are in private facilities, and they face much lower wait times
VANCOUVER, BC, June 12, 2025 /CNW/ - If Canada reformed to emulate Switzerland's approach to universal health care, including its much greater use of private sector involvement, the country would deliver far better results to patients and reduce wait times, finds a new study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank. "The bane of Canadian health care is lack of access to timely care, so it's critical to look to countries like Switzerland with more successful universal health care," said Yanick Labrie, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of Integrating Private Health Care Into Canada's Public System: What We Can Learn from Switzerland. The study highlights how Switzerland successfully integrates the private sector into their universal health-care system, which consistently outperforms Canada on most health-care metrics, including wait times. For example, in 2022, the percentage of patients who waited less than two months for a specialist appointment was 85.3 per cent in Switzerland compared to just 48.3 per cent in Canada. In Switzerland, 84.2 per cent of all hospitals are private (either for-profit or not-for-profit) institutions, and the country's private hospitals provide 60.2 per cent of all hospitalizations, 60.9 per cent of all births, and 67.1 per cent of all operating rooms. Crucially, Swiss patients can obtain treatment at the hospital of their choice, whether located inside or outside their geographic location, and hospitals cannot discriminate against patients, based on the care required. "Switzerland shows that a universal health-care system can reconcile efficiency and equity–all while being more accessible and responsive to patients' needs and preferences," Labrie said. "Based on the success of the Swiss model, provinces can make these reforms now and help improve Canadian health care." The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit SOURCE The Fraser Institute