BCCPA is a member organization of the Canadian Association of Long Term Care (“CALTC”), and our CEO Daniel Fontaine and board president Karen Baillie are both members of the CALTC board. CALTC’s annual general meetings are now conducted in Ottawa in order to maximize the interaction with key decision makers in the federal government.
In advance of CALTC’s AGM several meetings with MPs and government staff were organized to raise awareness of the issues surrounding long term care and home care in Canada. CALTC issued a national news release and shared the report titled “Caring for Canada’s Seniors“ in preparation for their conversation with the Health Minister.
CALTC president Candace Chartier and Vice-President Daniel Fontaine met with with federal Minister of Health Jane Philpott. Karen Baillie met with government Caucus chair for BC Randeep Sarai (Surrey Centre). Other meetings were held between CALTC representatives and Sonia Sidhu (Brampton South), NDP critic for seniors Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford), and NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson (Nanaimo-Ladysmith), among many others.
https://twitter.com/Fontaine_D/status/827190685476458497
After being greeted warmly by federal Minister Philpott, Fontaine made the case for a National Health Accord, so that British Columbia too can access federal dollars promised for seniors care. The Minister indicated a keen willingness to continue discussions with British Columbia in order for an agreement. The federal government are flagging $3 billion toward new health care spending – a portion of which will go to British Columbia. The majority of these investments are to be directed to home and residential care.
BCCPA president @KarenLBaillie in Ottawa meets Gov't Caucus Chair for BC @randeepssarai. #CareCanBeThere pic.twitter.com/fBLTNcxxbJ
— BC Care Providers (@BCCareProviders) February 2, 2017
All-in-all, the meetings with the government and members of the Opposition were very positive, and successive annual visits to the nation’s capital can only hope to strengthen the cause of seniors care in Canada.
