With the start of the legislative session, I am eager to bring my Private Member’s Bill, the Northern Health Travel Grant Advisory Committee Act (Bill 13), to the assembly on February 22nd. Readers will already know just how often we get calls from constituents regarding the grant, but more generally access to healthcare across the riding. With every new session ...

Today Michael Mantha, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, was joined by Donna Stewart (CAO of the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board) to call on the government of Ontario to pass Bill 13, The Northern Health Travel Grant Advisory Committee Act.   The Northern Health Travel Grant (NHTG) is a program administered by the government of Ontario meant to assist patients living in Northern ...

As the timeless proverb goes, “Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me.” Over the winter break, listening to people across the riding, I hear growing concern about the Ford government’s privatization of healthcare. Lately, the focus seems to be on Premier Ford’s eagerness to throw out the welcome mat for for-profit surgical clinics. Next to ...

Comme le dit le proverbe intemporel : « Trompez-moi une fois, honte à vous ; trompez-moi deux fois, honte à moi. » Pendant les vacances d’hiver, en écoutant les gens de toute la circonscription, j’entends des inquiétudes croissantes au sujet de la privatisation des soins de santé par le gouvernement Ford. Dernièrement, l’accent semble être mis sur l’empressement du premier ministre Ford à jeter ...

I am getting a bit concerned about Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s welfare. Seeing him across the aisle when the House sits, he looks fine. But I have noticed something that maybe he and others close to him just are not aware of at the moment. Yet, the problem seems quite apparent to many Ontarians. I am starting to think that ...

Je m’inquiète un peu du bien-être du premier ministre de l’Ontario, Doug Ford. En le voyant de l’autre côté de l’allée lorsque la Chambre siège, il a l’air bien. Mais j’ai remarqué quelque chose dont peut-être lui et d’autres proches ne sont tout simplement pas au courant. Pourtant, le problème semble tout à fait évident pour de nombreux Ontariens. Je ...

Michael Mantha, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, released the following statement in light of the news that the Group Health Centre in Sault Ste. Marie will need to cut loose 10,000 patients at the end of May. “I am extremely troubled to hear that the Group Health Centre has been forced to explore last-resort options to cope with the ongoing healthcare crisis ...

Que vous soyez médecin, infirmier, chauffeur de taxi, enseignant ou vendeur, nous comprenons tous que, avec les plaisirs et les avantages qui accompagnent notre travail, nous devons accepter les maux de tête et les chagrins. C’est juste la vie. Pour moi, l’un des chagrins récurrents est lorsque je rencontre face à face avec des personnes âgées qui doivent déménager de ...

Whether you are a doctor, nurse, cab driver, teacher or salesperson, we all understand that, along with the pleasures and perks that come with our jobs, we must accept headaches and heartaches. That’s just life. For me, one of the recurring heartaches is when I meet face to face with seniors facing moving from their home into a senior residence ...

Nous sommes maintenant entrés dans la période du calendrier législatif où les députés sont de retour dans leur circonscription pour une durée prolongée. Le gouvernement Ford a suspendu l’Assemblée législative une semaine plus tôt que prévu en décembre, ce qui signifie malheureusement que le projet de loi que je devais présenter pour améliorer le Programme de subventions accordées aux résidents ...

We have now entered the period of the legislative calendar where MPPs are back in their constituencies for an extended amount of time. The Ford government recessed the legislature a week earlier than planned in December, which unfortunately meant that the legislation I was set to bring forward to improve the Northern Health Travel Grant will now have to wait ...

Following the Ontario Health Coalition’s report on hospital closures and the Auditor General’s damning report on Northern healthcare, Michael Mantha spent the week meeting with hospitals across Algoma-Manitoulin to understand the extent of the crisis in our communities.   “From Manitouwadge to Manitoulin our public hospitals are under tremendous strain to continue providing adequate healthcare.” Mantha said. “The budgets of ...

The Festive season is certainly in full swing now. I have already attended more events and celebrations throughout the riding than I can count. I’ve been following this tradition for more than a decade now. The traditional song says, “It is the most wonderful time of the year.” I join constituents where they live, work and play during this holiday ...

Certains de mes amis ont une belle horloge grand-père dans leur salon. C’est une véritable antiquité patrimoniale qui fonctionne avec des poids, des poulies et un pendule. J’aime souvent leur compagnie, sirotant un café à côté de l’horloge, parlant dans des tons plus calmes afin que nous puissions profiter de son rythme de tic-tac pendant parfait. C’est un son apaisant, ...

Friends of mine have a beautiful grandfather clock in their living room. It’s a genuine heirloom antique that works with weights, pulleys and a pendulum. I often enjoy their company, sipping coffee beside the clock, speaking in quieter tones so we can enjoy its perfect pendulous tick-tock rhythm. It is a calming sound, reminding me that we all need to ...