{"id":41101,"date":"2026-04-04T17:09:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T17:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=41101"},"modified":"2026-04-04T17:09:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T17:09:27","slug":"forget-bilingual-status-for-hospitals-we-want-access-to-ontario-care-western-quebecers-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=41101","title":{"rendered":"Forget bilingual status for hospitals, we want access to Ontario care, western Quebecers say"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Michael Smith hasn\u2019t slept through the night in weeks.<\/p>\n
The resident of Kipawa, a small Quebec village near the Ontario border, has been sitting upright in pain, his arm locked in a sling, waiting for a call that hasn\u2019t come.<\/p>\n
After a snowmobile accident on March 1, Smith went to the emergency department in the nearby town of T\u00e9miscaming, where doctors told him he needed an ultrasound to assess internal damage.<\/p>\n
The wait time: four months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s wrong with my arm,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m in constant pain\u2026 and I\u2019m just waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weeks later, he still has no diagnosis \u2014 and no idea if he\u2019ll fully recover.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m doing self-diagnosis at this point,\u201d he added. \u201cBut the worst part is not knowing\u201d<\/p>\n
As the health authority in Quebec’s Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue region pushes for official bilingual status for its southernmost health facilities to improve access for English speakers, residents say bigger accessibility issues stem from a policy change implemented last year that created a barrier to accessing health care in Ontario.<\/p>\n
For years, many relied on hospitals in nearby North Bay, Ont., for faster access to tests, specialists and follow-up care. But that cross-border access has been cut off, forcing patients to seek services deeper within Quebec and often hours away.<\/p>\n
The change is the result of a shift in Quebec\u2019s billing policies. As of Aug. 1, 2025, the province \u2014 through regional health authorities like the CISSS de l\u2019Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue \u2014 stopped acting as an intermediary between Quebec\u2019s public health insurance board and doctors for medical services provided by Ontario doctors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Officials say the move is meant to align with interprovincial practices and ensure the responsible use of public funds.<\/p>\n
Smith says that shift has overwhelmed an already strained system.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn ultrasound should happen the same day, or within days,\u201d he said. \u201cNot months later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018They didn\u2019t consider the human factor\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
G\u00e9rard Whissell, a retired resident and municipal councillor in Kipawa, says the closure of the Ontario health-care corridor has created ripple effects across the community, especially for older residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a urologist in North Bay. It was a 45-minute drive,\u201d Whissell said. \u201cNow I have to go to Rouyn-Noranda \u2014 that\u2019s about two and a half hours \u2014 for a 15-minute appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The added distance isn\u2019t just inconvenient, it\u2019s costly. Travel expenses, overnight stays and time off add up quickly, he said, and government reimbursement often falls short.<\/p>\n
Whissell recently accompanied his 87-year-old mother to an appointment in Val-d\u2019Or, a trip that required an overnight stay.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy expenses were close to $600,\u201d he said. \u201cShe got maybe half of that back.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/picture><\/div>G\u00e9rard Whissell says taking his mother to the doctor has become more time consuming and expensive. (Submitted by G\u00e9rard Whissell)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Beyond the financial burden, he says the travel itself can be physically taxing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn elderly person can\u2019t handle four or five hours on the road,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re already stressed about their health, and now they have to deal with this too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whissell also questions how the decision to end the corridor was made.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t consider the human factor,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople in the middle of treatment, people waiting for surgery \u2014 none of that was taken into account.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement to CBC News, the CISSS de l\u2019Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue said it has the capacity to meet the region\u2019s needs and that urgent diagnostic requests \u2014 those requiring care within three to 10 days \u2014 are handled within recommended timelines. However, it acknowledged that delays can occur for less urgent exams, with wait times varying depending on the type of service.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The health authority also pointed to a temporary measure introduced in January allowing some residents in T\u00e9miscaming, Kipawa and Kebaowek to seek care in Ontario, provided they notify the CISSS in advance. Officials say the measure is meant to help document demand while a longer-term solution is developed in collaboration with the Quebec government and regional partners.<\/p>\n
But Whissell says some patients trying to navigate that temporary authorization have been unsuccessful. He says some Ontario hospitals have been declining Quebec patients until a formal agreement is in place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The uncertainty is pushing some residents to consider leaving the region altogether, he says.<\/p>\n
Language isn’t the problem, mayor says<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Meanwhile, health authorities in Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue are seeking official bilingual status for its facilities in T\u00e9miscaming and Kipawa \u2014 a move intended to improve access for English-speaking residents.<\/p>\n
But Kipawa Mayor Norman Young says that, while language access is important, \u201cthat\u2019s not what people are complaining about.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve never really had problems with language here,\u201d Young said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He says the loss of access to Ontario health services is the region\u2019s most urgent challenge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s created havoc,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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<\/picture><\/div>Kipawa Mayor Norman Young says easy access to health care is more important than language accessibility. (Jessica G\u00e9linas\/Radio-Canada)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Young says even his own follow-up care was delayed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was supposed to be seen in six weeks,\u201d he said. \u201cIt took almost four months.\u201d<\/p>\n
While he supports the push for bilingual designation, he says it risks overlooking more pressing gaps in care.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pleased we\u2019re moving toward services in both languages,\u201d Young said. \u201cBut there are more important issues that need to be addressed to provide decent health care.\u201d<\/p>\n
For residents like Smith, the solution feels urgent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no short-term fix,\u201d he said, \u201cother than letting people here access health care in Ontario again.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the meantime, he says, the uncertainty is becoming part of daily life.<\/p>\n
He describes standing outside with a neighbour who was injured months ago and is still waiting for an MRI.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got a cane, I\u2019ve got my arm in a sling,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe just stand there wondering what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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