Finance & Capital Management

This past weekend marked the fourth anniversary of the defeat of the 2016 tPSA (tentative Physician Services Agreement) at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). It marked the culmination of the efforts to mobilize almost two-thirds of the membership to vote against the deal, despite heavy pressure from the then board to approve it. In the aftermath of that agreement, there have been some significant and rather seismic changes at the OMA, and it’s worthwhile looking back to see what’s different, and what still needs to be done.

Under pressure over his pandemic back-to-school plan, Premier Doug Ford ratcheted up his attacks on teachers' union leaders Tuesday, as critics said his government is trying to shift blame over the province's controversial restart strategy. During his daily COVID-19 media briefing Ford criticized the province's teachers' unions who have been critical of his plan to reopen schools, alleging it violates the province's own health and safety laws.

Yet again, the federal government looks like it is about to transfer tens of billions of dollars to the provinces with essentially no strings attached. We’ve seen this before. The 2004 First Ministers’ Health Accord transferred $40 billion to the provinces with homecare as one of the priorities. In the 2017 Health Accord, $11 billion was transferred with money earmarked for homecare and for mental health and addictions. We have no evidence of any significant progress in the provision of home care.

Understanding what is available to you and what aligns with your financial appetite is important. You want to ensure you are comfortable with your decisions but also understand that as with operating any business there is risk.

After COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the number of cases started to climb globally. It’s difficult to apply a one-size-fits-all interpretation as to why certain states experienced higher numbers of infections while others kept theirs in check.

Karyn Keith says she isn't asking for much. All she wants is the same support she'd receive if she was out of a job because of the pandemic, rather than unable to work because of her disabilities. The 44-year-old mother in Brampton, Ont., said she lives with constant pain and fatigue from multiple chronic conditions, including trigeminal neuralgia, a debilitating nerve disorder characterized by searing spasms through the face.

'The medical profession is decades behind other sectors in terms of pay equity'

Ontario's elementary students and many high schoolers will return to traditional classrooms full time in September, the provincial government announced Thursday. But the province's new back-to-school plan indicates that high school students at two dozen boards—including the Toronto District School Board—will only attend class half the time in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, with a maximum class size of 15.