MEDICARE’S DAUGHTER RIDING THE WAVE

TO SAVE PUBLIC HEALTH CARE ACROSS CANADA

Fresh from the Fight in Alberta, Shirley Douglas to Speak in Kingston Next Week

Kingston – The daughter of the founder of Canadian Medicare will be in Kingston for a public forum on Thursday, May 4.  Shirley Douglas, actress, mother of actor Keifer Sutherland, Chair of the Toronto Health Coalition and spokesperson for the Canadian Health Coalition will speak to community members at City Hall.  A relentless and powerful voice in the fight to protect and extend public healthcare in Canada, Ms. Douglas just returned to Ontario from Alberta where she spoke at unprecedented rallies of over 6,000 people who turned out in Calgary and Edmonton in opposition to the proposed privatization of hospitals. 

Ms. Douglas is the daughter of Tommy Douglas who is known as the father of Canadian Medicare.  She grew up integrally involved in the first struggle to create a public health care system in Canada, a movement that eventually culminated in the creation of the Canada Health Act and public medicare.  In recent years, Ms. Douglas has been a leader in the fight to protect the system her father built.

The forum will be held in Memorial Hall, Kingston City Hall at 7 pm on May 4.  Shirley Douglas will be joined by a panel including representatives from the Kingston Health Coalition and the Ontario Health Coalition, as well as Sid Ryan, CUPE President and Leah Casselman, OPSEU President.  Community members in attendance will be invited to share their experiences of health restructuring and to start the process of forming a community response.  There is no charge for entry and all are welcome.