MLAs quiz N.B. health deputy minister on primary care access
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Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Vancouver Sun
Comox councillor steps forward as leadership candidate for B.C. Greens
A Vancouver Island municipal official and family doctor has become the first person to announce their candidacy to replace Sonia Furstenau as the leader of the B.C. Greens, with a final vote set for mid-September. Jonathan Kerr is in the middle of his second term on Comox town council and has served as a family physician for the last 17 years, first in Ontario and now in B.C. He also serves as chair of the doctor recruitment task force for the Comox Valley and says the task force successfully brought 44 family physicians to the region between 2021 and 2024. In January of last year he said these efforts had reduced the number of local residents without a family doctor from 14,000 to 2,000. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I am excited about the future of B.C., where housing is affordable, everyone has a family doctor, well-paying jobs are plentiful, the economy is strong, and we are protecting our forests and oceans,' Kerr said in a statement Wednesday. 'The B.C. Greens are the only party with the long-term approach needed to truly make our province more affordable, healthy and sustainable. The B.C. Greens have done a lot with just a few MLAs, but we can do a lot more if we grow our Caucus. I feel I have the experience and energy to make it happen.' According to his recently launched campaign website, Kerr has already received endorsements from former Green leader Jane Sterk, who led the party from 2007 to 2013, and fellow Comox councillor Jenn Meilleur. Both Green MLAs, interim leader Jeremy Valeriote of West Vancouver-Sea to Sky and Rob Botterell of Saanich-Gulf Islands, have declined to run in the leadership race, meaning that whoever takes the reigns of the party will be without a seat in the legislature and would either have to wait for an opportunity to run in a byelection or wait for the next provincial election, scheduled for October 2028. Furstenau resigned as leader in January after losing to NDP cabinet minister Grace Lore in the provincial election last October after having been leader since 2020 and handed the role to Valeriote on an interim basis. The deadline for candidates to submit their applications was June 14 and the deadline to sign up new members to vote in the contest is August 10. Voting will happen primarily online from Sept. 13 to Sept. 23 with the winner set to be announced on September 24.
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
New Brunswick cancer patient depleted savings to travel for clinical trial in Toronto
A Shediac, N.B., woman says she's running out of money to continue travelling to Toronto to take part in a clinical trial treatment for her stage 3 ovarian cancer. But despite seeing encouraging results, the province says she doesn't qualify for a program that helps pay for food and lodging for out-of-province cancer treatment. 'It's frustrating because I know that the program is out there and I know it's there to help people like myself that are in that situation,' said Kim Doucette. 'But it doesn't talk about all these parameters that you kind of have to fit in to be able to get it.' Doucette has been travelling to Toronto's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre since February to receive chemotherapy as part of the clinical trial. She was referred there after her treatment in New Brunswick didn't go as well as hoped, and she was given up to 18 months to live. Story continues below advertisement 'I just three days ago had my last CT results and my cancer is down about 45 per cent in my body. So it's working right now, so it's very positive,' she said. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Her travel and lodging expenses have added up quickly, amounting to about $3,500 a month. Her rent alone is $2,400 per month, and that's at a 50 per cent discount. 'It becomes a lot, of course, because you're like paying for two homes,' she said. 'I'm trying to save my life and I am trying to get home and I have had lots of support from family and friends.' While she receives a discounted rate on her apartment in Toronto through a charity, a hospital social worker told her that her family's income is too high to qualify for help from several other charities. Doucette says she was floored when her application for the provincial program was denied back in April. 'It's heartbreaking because I'm doing the best I can to save my life, and that's why I'm here,' she said. 'I definitely think there should be more support for me because it is working. And so that's what I'm here to fight for.' In a statement to Global News, the Department of Health said New Brunswickers who receive out-of-province services covered by Medicare, and who require lodging, may be reimbursed. Story continues below advertisement 'Services generally accepted within New Brunswick as experimental or that are provided as applied research are not covered by Medicare,' the statement said. A provincial spokersperson said that any medical care a patient would require not related to the trial would be covered by Medicare through an interprovincial agreement. Doucette's treatment is being paid for by GSK Pharmaceuticals, the company conducting the trial. She says her savings are now almost completely depleted, and she's calling on the province to change its policy. 'It's weighing heavy on me and my husband, you know, he's the one that does everything for our family,' she said. 'So, it's a lot.'
Global News
4 days ago
- Global News
211 launches new N.B. services for victims of gender-based and intimate partner violence
Anyone experiencing gender-based or intimate partner violence in New Brunswick has a new dedicated tool to find the help they need on their terms. 211 New Brunswick has launched the 'It's Your Call' campaign, a 24/7 provincial resource linking those experiencing gender-based violence or intimate partner violence to social services ranging from safe places to stay to medical support. 'If you're in a situation where you're experiencing gender-based violence, it's an extremely stressful situation,' said Shelly Steeves, director of marketing and communications for United Way Moncton. 'And it can often be difficult to know where to go for help – what services are out there and who can you access. That's where 211 helps.' The 211 service, provided by United Way, has been available across Canada since 2020, connecting people to social, government, health and community services. This is the first time it is putting dedicated resources in place to help victims of gender-based and intimate partner violence. Anyone can call 211 or visit to access services anonymously. Story continues below advertisement 'Individuals do not need to formally report their experience, but they can explore the type of help they need and decide how to proceed accordingly based on what they need in their own individual situations,' Steeves said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy She also says those who call in will be guided through the process by trained personnel. 'They are specially trained to really actively listen with empathy and understanding to the callers, whether it be a friend, family member or the person actually experiencing gender-based violence.' 2:03 New Brunswickers struggling with basic needs including housing The hope is 211 offers an easy-to-remember number for victims who may need to remain discreet in dangerous situations. 'They have to remember phone numbers. There is a risk that if you're with your partner who is violent that they would find those phone numbers. 211 is easy to remember,' said Valerie Roy-Lang, director of the Réseau des services pour victimes de violence du N.-B. Story continues below advertisement Roy-Lang says the service will also help victims overcome roadblocks. 'There are many barriers, if you look at financial barriers, some people have children, what happens then? They have so many questions on where to go and what to do,' she said. The campaign announcement follows the legislative assembly's unanimous support on June 6 to declare gender-based violence an epidemic and systemic crisis within the province. New Brunswick has the third highest police-reported rate of intimate partner violence in the country and the highest rate of reported gender-based violence in Atlantic Canada, according to the most recent data from 2023. The province saw an almost 40 per cent increase in intimate partner violence over a 12-year period, with rural communities being particularly affected. Since 2020, 211 New Brunswick has helped connect more than 100,000 people to services. – with files from Johnny James
