The Waterloo Region Health Coalition is organizing a public rally at Waterloo Town Square on April 25, 2026, to protest the provincial government’s shift toward private surgical and diagnostic clinics. The event, which is set to begin at noon, encourages community members to join for one hour to advocate for increased public hospital funding.
Organizers are raising concerns over provincial policies that have directed nearly $300 million toward 61 new private clinics. According to data cited by the coalition, this move is expected to redirect 1.2 million patients away from the public system. Critics point to the higher costs associated with private facilities, noting that public hospitals are funded $508 for a standard cataract surgery, while the province has paid $1,264 for the same procedure at a private surgical unit.
Local health services are feeling the strain of current funding levels. The Waterloo Regional Health Network is reporting a deficit for the 2025-26 period, as provincial funding has not kept pace with inflation and population growth. In the Waterloo region, five operating rooms are currently not in use, and one of the six operating rooms at Cambridge Memorial Hospital is being used for storage due to a lack of resources. Additionally, there are 140 vacant registered nurse positions across the region that remain unfilled because of funding shortages.
Across Ontario, the hospital system is facing a projected $1 billion funding gap. The 2026 provincial budget provides what advocates describe as a real-dollar cut to hospitals, representing a 2% decrease when adjusted for a 6% rise in costs driven by an aging and growing population. Ontario currently funds hospitals at $1,805 per person, the lowest rate in Canada and below the national average of $1,949.
The Ontario Health Coalition, which is coordinating this province-wide day of action, has expressed concerns regarding patient safety and wait times. Currently, emergency room patients are waiting an average of 20 hours for admission, far exceeding the 8-hour target. Furthermore, research indicates that patients are 9.5% more likely to die in a private facility than in a public hospital.
