In rural Ontario, frustration is mounting as residents of Durham and Walkerton express their discontent over Progressive Conservative (PC) candidates missing crucial all-candidates meetings. These meetings aimed to address pressing health-care issues, a top concern for the community, were notably absent of PC representation, leaving many questions unanswered. Jana White, an organizer for the Durham meeting, emphasized the community's eagerness for dialogue, highlighting the void left by absent PC candidates.
The meetings, held in Durham and Walkerton, Ontario, attracted considerable attention from local residents. In Durham, around 200 attendees gathered to discuss the pressing health-care challenges facing their community. The absence of PC candidates was particularly felt in the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and Huron-Bruce ridings, both long-standing PC strongholds. Despite the party's historical support in these regions, incumbent PC candidate Lisa Thompson and Paul Vickers, the PC candidate for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, were both absent due to other campaign commitments.
"Was received when I had already committed to other events." – Lisa Thompson
The focus of these meetings was primarily on health-care concerns, which are especially critical given the area's aging population and the presence of numerous seniors' residences and care homes. The limited emergency room hours at Durham hospital, currently restricted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., have been a significant point of contention. Patients needing care after these hours are redirected to facilities in Owen Sound, Kincardine, or Goderich, further straining resources and causing inconvenience.
Jana White, who chairs a committee fighting to restore beds and emergency room hours at the town's hospital, expressed her disappointment at the lack of PC engagement.
"The whole meeting was about health care," said White. "Lots of questions were submitted and they were answered by all three candidates except the PCs, which is unfortunate because you could argue that is the party that put us in this situation, so I would have loved to hear from him [Vickers]."
The South Bruce Grey Health Centre's decision last fall to move 10 in-patient beds out of the Durham hospital to Walkerton and Kincardine has only heightened concerns among residents, particularly seniors reliant on local care services. Brenda Scott, another local resident, voiced the community's growing frustration.
"People in the town are very upset," said Scott. "A lot of people in these rural communities, they've had the dirty end of the stick and they want to hear from the people in government. They want to hear what they're going to do about it."
Nick McGregor, the NDP candidate for Huron-Bruce, speculated on the reasons behind the PCs' absence from these critical discussions.
"There's a pattern of not showing up for rural Ontario, and treating rural Ontario like it's a given, like they're going to just get those votes no matter what," said McGregor. "Not showing up to candidates' debates especially on health care… shows they don't really want to talk about it."
The concerns shared at these meetings highlight a broader issue of communication and representation for rural communities. Residents feel overlooked by political leaders who assume continued support without addressing local issues.
Paul Vickers, despite his absence, expressed intentions to continue collaboration with the South Bruce Grey Health Centre.
"Continue to work with South Bruce Grey Health Centre as they navigate their decision to focus on the Durham hospital's role on delivering primary and urgent care and be there to support consistent and reliable care, through primary and urgent care, by ensuring it remains available in Durham and surrounding communities." – Paul Vickers
