Latest news with #AndreaKhanjin
CTV News
7 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Province invests $89M to help seniors age ‘safely at home'
Second from right: Sarah Mills, director and chief of paramedics for the County of Simcoe. Fourth from right: Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care, Fifth from right: Basil Clarke, County of Simcoe warden. Sixth from right: Doug Downey, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte MPP, Seventh from right: Andrea Khanjin, Barrie—Innisfil MPP The Ontario government announced on Tuesday an investment to make their Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care (CPLTC) program permanent, continuing to offer care for seniors right at their front door. 'Starting in 2026-27, Ontario will invest $89 million annually into the (CPLTC),' stated Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care, in her announcement at Barrie-Simcoe Emergency Services Campus. Through the CPLTC, community paramedics can offer basic diagnostic services and check-ins to those who are on the waiting list for long-term care. According to the province, the program has served more than 81,000 people and provided more than 310,000 hours of care to seniors since launching in 2020. With more non-emergency services available at home, the province confirmed to CTV News that it has translated to fewer 911 calls and more efficiency in the healthcare system. 'It's a win-win situation for all,' said Kusendova-Bashta in an interview with CTV News. 'Our community paramedics are one of those providers who can help support people to stay at home longer. We know that our seniors, they feel really good at home. And if we are able to provide them with the right supports, like through community medicine, they will be able to stay within the comfort of their home longer.' Of those 81,000 served by the CPLTC program, nearly 2,300 have been in Simcoe County. The announced funding will support paramedic services in 56 municipalities and expand to seven Indigenous communities in total. 'It means a permanent program,' said Sarah Mills, director and chief of paramedics for the County of Simcoe. 'And securing support for our communities as our seniors age at home and really diversifying the portfolio of paramedics in the County of Simcoe.' 'It's so important if you can keep your family members at home where they feel comfortable, where they feel relaxed,' added Basil Clarke, County of Simcoe warden. 'They know somebody's coming in that's an expert, and even to go over their medication just to make them feel better. At the end of the day, when they leave, (they know that) 'yes, I'm doing everything right, I'm doing the best I can, and there's somebody looking out for me.'' Those on the waitlist for long-term care and those who have been assessed are eligible. Clients may also refer themselves or family members by contacting their local paramedic service.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Nursing gets a shot in the arm from province
Georgian College's nursing students are getting a boost from the government to the tune of $250,000 to learn how to prescribe medication. This will make Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to include RN prescribing studies in undergraduate programs. 'This investment will help ensure our nursing workforce is able to meet the demands of our aging population and will safeguard stability in our healthcare system for years to come,' said MPP for Barrie – Springwater – Oro-Medonte Doug Downey. 'By creating a more comprehensive undergraduate curriculum, we are preparing students for in-demand jobs and setting them up for the future. MPP for Barrie – Innisfil Andrea Khanjin said the new nursing curriculum will ensure nurses will be able to access high-quality education. 'With this investment for Georgian College, we are empowering the next generation of healthcare professionals with the tools they need to provide enhanced, patient-centered care right here in Barrie,' said Khanjin. Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said the investment in education and training for nurses will build a better Ontario for years to come. 'This investment will help ensure families can connect to the care they need no matter where they live, while also supporting the next generation of health-care professionals,' said Jones.
CBC
10-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Ontario bill limiting access to long-term care home inspection reports will protect bad actors: advocate
Social Sharing The Ontario government is proposing restricting public access to long-term care (LTC) home inspection reports — a move one advocate says will protect bad actors in the sector. Currently, all LTC home inspection reports are posted online. But under the proposal, contained within a bill tabled last week by Minister of Red Tape Reduction Andrea Khanjin, the reports would be published for three years before being removed from the website. "It's very clear here that it's to shield the bad reputations of repeated bad actors in long-term care from having their records of non-compliance being made visible," said Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos, a professor at Ontario Tech University and long-term care advocate, in an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Tuesday. Over 30,000 reports are currently available online, dating back over 15 years, including for homes that are no longer operational, according to the Ministry of Long-Term Care. The ministry will continue maintaining reports outside the three-year time period, and reports will be available "upon request," spokesperson Mark Nesbitt said in an email on Monday. "By setting a three-year publication period for reports, the government is ensuring the public has access to relevant and accurate information that reflects each long-term care home's current performance," he said. The time frame is similar to other inspection industry practices, such as for child-care settings, he said. But Stamatopoulos called the comparison a false equivalency. Children don't live in daycares, and the history of deaths, noncompliance and abuse in Ontario LTC homes demands a full public record, she said. From March 2020 to April 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 4,335 residents died in Ontario's LTC homes, according to a September 2023 report from the province's ombudsman. WATCH | 5 years ago, military report detailed abuse, neglect in Ontario's long-term care homes: Military report puts spotlight on crisis in Ontario's long-term care homes 5 years ago Duration 3:09 The Canadian Armed Forces released a report in May 2020 detailing disturbing conditions observed by its members in five Ontario LTC homes, including accounts of elder abuse and an accusation that improper care led to the choking death of a resident. The soldiers were called in to help after some of the province's long-term care facilities were overrun by COVID-19 outbreaks. If the government does implement the three-year time frame for online access to inspection reports, Stamatopoulos says by 2026, "the worst of the worst times in long-term care is just going to be gone." "And then eventually, it will all be gone." Move will add more red tape, advocate says Families, journalists and researchers all rely on the publicly available reports to demonstrate long-standing issues in the sector and support their calls for systemic change, she said. If the reports are removed, she said it will no longer be possible to do historical analysis and examine trends overtime. Stamatopoulos said she doubts the government will provide reports upon request in a timely manner. Currently, she said she is waiting for the Ministry of Long-Term Care to get back to her on questions she sent them about inspection reports four months ago. Requiring additional resources to field individual requests for reports will be inefficient and add more red tape when the data is already publicly available, she said. "Why would you go out of your way to take these reports down and then have to field these requests on a one-to-one basis if you don't have anything to hide, or if you're not trying to protect bad actors who have long histories of non-compliance?" she said.
CTV News
03-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
York1 filed court challenge over landfill project months before Ford government proposed rollback
The company behind a controversial landfill proposal near Dresden launched a legal challenge last summer over Ontario's decision to require a full environmental assessment — months before the Ford government introduced legislation to scrap that requirement. York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd. filed a judicial review application on July 29, 2024, seeking to overturn the province's designation regulation that placed its project under Ontario's comprehensive environmental assessment process. A copy of the court filing and confirmation of the legal action were provided to CTV News by York1. The application was filed in Divisional Court in London, Ont. CTV News has contacted the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for confirmation and comment and is awaiting a response. Timeline of events: Dresden landfill proposal March 11, 2024 – While speaking in Windsor, Premier Doug Ford is asked about the proposed landfill near Dresden. He says he's unfamiliar with the issue but adds: 'If people like something, we do it. If they don't, we don't do it. It's about as simple as that.' – While speaking in Windsor, Premier Doug Ford is asked about the proposed landfill near Dresden. He says he's unfamiliar with the issue but adds: March 15, 2024 – Former Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin announces the project will be subject to a comprehensive environmental assessment, under Ontario Regulation 284/24. – Former Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin announces the project will be subject to a comprehensive environmental assessment, under Ontario Regulation 284/24. July 29, 2024 – York1 files a judicial review application, arguing the designation contradicts prior guidance the company says it received in 2022 from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, indicating a screening-level EA would apply. – York1 files a judicial review application, arguing the designation contradicts prior guidance the company says it received in 2022 from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, indicating a screening-level EA would apply. April 17, 2025 – The Ford government introduces Bill 5, which proposes to eliminate the EA requirement for the Dresden site — effectively reversing the March 2024 decision that York1 is challenging in court. York1 argues in court filings that the province's shifting position — from limited EA, to full EA and now a possible exemption — created uncertainty and made the project 'unfeasible.' The company says it purchased the Irish School Road property in 2022 after receiving written guidance from the Ministry outlining regulatory expectations for a regenerative recycling facility accepting construction and demolition waste. A 2022 letter from the Ministry, provided by York1, states that a screening-level environmental assessment would be required for certain aspects of the project — not a comprehensive one. The project has faced widespread opposition from Dresden residents. Chatham-Kent Council has unanimously opposed the proposal, and municipal officials say the site's historic environmental approvals — dating back to the 1970s and 1990s — no longer meet modern standards. York1, meanwhile, says it met with Chatham-Kent officials numerous times, and claims the municipality initially expressed support for the project — including the concept of a host-community agreement — before later reversing course. The legal action preceded a wave of political scrutiny that has since intensified attention on the project. In May 2025, Ontario Liberal MPP Ted Hsu asked the province's Integrity Commissioner to investigate possible connections between the Ford government and the landfill proposal — pointing to roughly $200,000 in political donations made since 2018 by members of the Brunetti family, York1 executives, and individuals tied to companies involved in the property's ownership. Hsu has questioned the timing of those contributions, noting several were made around key regulatory decisions. Asked about the donations, York1 spokesperson Laryssa Waler declined to comment on individual contributions, saying all political donations in Ontario are publicly reported and 'speak for themselves.' The judicial review has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
CBC
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
MPP calls on integrity commissioner to probe Premier Ford and ministers over Dresden, Ont., landfill project
Social Sharing Ontario's integrity commissioner is being asked to investigate the alleged connection of Premier Doug Ford, two of his cabinet members, and a former minister to a proposed landfill in Dresden, Ont. Liberal MPP for Kingston and the Islands Ted Hsu called for the investigation in a May 9 letter in which he claimed there's reasonable and probable grounds to believe that Ford and the trio may have contravened the Members' Integrity Act. The complaint comes in wake of a report in The Trillium that found the owners of the landfill property, and others connected to them, made significant donations to the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party. In addition to Ford, Hsu said former minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin, current minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Todd McCarthy, and Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce "may have contravened the Act or breached parliamentary convention" in relation to decisions surrounding the Dresden landfill site. "These ministers are named in this request because Premier Doug Ford attended PC Party fundraisers closely aligned with key regulatory decisions on the landfill and is directly connected to donors with a financial stake in the project," Hsu wrote in the letter. "Andrea Khanjin, as then Minister of Environment, announced the comprehensive environmental assessment (EA) that appeared to stall the project just prior to a byelection. Todd McCarthy, her successor, is now leading the government's effort to cancel the EA through legislation, a reversal that would benefit the landfill's owners. "Stephen Lecce, as minister of energy and mines, formally introduced Bill 5, which includes a provision exempting the Dresden landfill from the EA process despite significant local opposition and no comparable exemptions for other landfills," reads the letter. According to Hsu, each of the ministers named in the letter "played a role in a sequence of events that appears to favour a politically connected group of developers and major Progressive Conservative Party donors. The circumstances raise serious concerns about whether political donations, lobbying relationships, and insider connections may have unduly influenced the exercise of public authority." Hsu said the basis for his request relates to a sequence of events in 2024–2025 involving: "Substantial political donations" from developers and executives with a direct financial stake in the Dresden landfill. The premier's participation in political fundraisers held shortly after an environmental assessment was announced for the site. The subsequent introduction of legislation (Bill 5) that would cancel that assessment and benefit those same donors. Project will still undergo extensive environmental processes: premier's office A spokesperson for the premier said the Dresden landfill is needed to reduce reliance on international systems for waste disposal. "Ontario exports nearly 40 per cent of its waste to the United States and it is anticipated our landfills, as they stand, will be full within the next decade," Hannah Jensen wrote in an email to CBC News. "The [Dresden] waste project ... is the landfill that can mobilize the quickest to increase internal waste management capacity to ensure long-term stability and reduce reliance on international systems, as it already has waste permissions and is not considered a new landfill. "We have been clear, the project will still undergo extensive environmental processes and remain subject to strong provincial oversight and other regulatory requirements, including Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECA) under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA)." The premier's office did not respond to the allegations made in Hsu's letter. CBC News has also reached out to the offices of McCarthy and Lecce for comment. The integrity commission has confirmed receipt of Hsu's letter, which it says is under review. Meanwhile, Ontario Liberal MPPs on Monday echoed calls for an investigation into the cancellation of the environmental assessment. The party accused the Ford government of breaking a promise to Dresden residents by reneging on its commitment for a full environmental assessment of the landfill proposal. The Liberal party said donations to the PCs since 2018 from those connected with the property are pegged at around $200,000, a figure contained in the Trillium report. "When developers who donate $200,000 to the premier's party get exemptions from environmental review, something is deeply broken in how this government is doing business," said Ontario Liberal Party Leader Bonnie Crombie, in a news release. CBC News has not independently verified the donation figures. "Real integrity means standing by your word, not burying broken promises in legislation to protect political friends. Doug Ford made a promise to win votes during a byelection in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex. He then broke that promise the moment it became politically convenient. He doesn't care to listen to rural voices, unless it benefits him."
