The Town of Tillsonburg, Ontario is getting a $29,000 boost from the provincial government to help it attract new family doctors. The money will cover half the cost of a $58,000 marketing campaign designed to bring physicians and other healthcare workers to the community, where roughly 2,900 people are without a regular doctor.
The announcement was made on July 27 by the Town of Tillsonburg and the Ontario Ministry of Rural Affairs. The cash comes from the province’s $20-million Rural Ontario Development Program. The town is matching the contribution dollar for dollar.
The new campaign will use promotional materials, online and print ads, and a dedicated website to sell Tillsonburg as the perfect place for a healthcare career. Mayor Deb Gilvesy says the funding will help create high-quality promotional content that showcases everything the community has to offer and highlights why Tillsonburg is a great place for primary care providers to build their careers, raise families and put down roots. The site will spotlight the community’s lifestyle, professional opportunities, and local perks.
The doctor shortage hit hard in late 2024 when four family physicians left town within a year, two retiring and two moving away. With two more retirements expected in 2026, officials warned that only 60 percent of residents might have a family doctor. The problem stretches beyond Tillsonburg: across Ontario, more than 2.5 million people lack a doctor, and a survey by the Ontario Medical Association found 52 percent of family doctors are considering retirement or plan to retire in the next five years.
Tillsonburg serves a wide area of more than 160,000 people across southwestern Oxford County alongside regional partners like Rural Roads Health Services, the Oxford Ontario Health Team, and local Family Health Organizations. The hope is that a coordinated marketing push will attract candidates to fill the gaps and ensure more residents get the primary care they need.
