Federal government recognizes 1962 doctors’ strike as national historic event

The federal government is officially recognizing the 1962 Saskatchewan doctors’ strike as an event of national historic significance.The strike is now included in the list of national historic events, maintained by Parks Canada, and denoted as the “perhaps the best-known and most significant doctors’ strike of the 20th century.”In 1961, Saskatchewan government led by Tommy Douglas introduced legislation to bring about Canada’s first single-payer universal healthcare system, which faced widespread opposition from doctors. The Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons had urged the province to repeal the act and instead subsidize voluntary private medical insurance.When the legislation took effect on July 1, 1962, most of the province’s physicians walked off the job after the government refused to implement the changes requested by the college. This had detrimental effects on patient care. The province has to recruit doctors from other provinces and outside of Canada to fill in for those who went on strike. The college also continued to provide emergency services at a small number of hospitals.However, on July 23, 1962, the strike ended after the province and the doctors signed the Saskatoon Agreement. This agreement ensured that doctors would remain as independent contractors—not employees of the government—and be able to choose how they would be paid, either fee-for-service or extra-billing. This agreement would later serve as the model for implementing universal healthcare across Canada.“The resolution that came out of this strike played a key role in shaping Canada’s universal health care system —something deeply important to Canadians and to me personally,” said Steven Guilbeault, the minister responsible for Parks Canada, in a press release. “This pivotal moment in our history reminds us that compromise and thoughtful action can overcome strong differences of perspective, leading to better outcomes for all Canadians.”

Federal government recognizes 1962 doctors’ strike as national historic event

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