Premier Kathleen Wynne and her team found an optimum setting to elaborate on the province's new plan for free prescription medications for everyone 24 and under - a room filled with children.
On Thursday morning at the Timmins YMCA, a press conference was held, but only after Wynne had the opportunity to interact with local children during playtime. One youngster even temporarily bound her with a hula hoop.
"I'm thrilled to be here. I'm thrilled to be in this great, lively place with kids who are having a great program," said Wynne.
"Northeastern Ontario is such an integral part of our province, and its one that I've always felt a connection with."
Among the adults in attendance were Mayor Steve Black, who had a closed door meeting with Wynne after the press conference, Councillor Rick Dubeau, and city CAO Dave Landers.
As was first announced in late April at Queen's Park, the province is investing $465 million to expand coverage through the Ontario Health Insurance Program (OHIP). Starting on January 1, 2018, all Ontario residents 24 years of age and under will get their prescription medications free, regardless of family income. The coverage will be automatic, without any up-front costs.
More than 4,400 drugs, including everything from asthma inhalers, to anti-depressants, to expensive cancer treatment medications will be covered. It is the first universal drug program of its kind in Canada.
On Thursday, Wynne said her party is bringing 'big ideas' to the table.
"They are about making life a bit easier, a bit more secure for people in Ontario. That's what these ideas are about."
TimminsToday asked Wynne how it was decided that the program would end at the age of 24.
Premier Kathleen Wynne says that the 2017 provincial budget is designed to makes Ontarians' lives 'a little bit easier'. Andrew Autio for TimminsToday "Our first choice would be to have a national Pharmacare program that would be accessible for everyone. There was a discussion of whether it should be 18. We looked at the United Nations definition of 'youth', and its 15 to 24. When young people leave home to go live somewhere else, they lose that support of their family often, or they're not in the benefit program anymore, and it takes them those years from 18 to 25 to get established. So that's why we went to 24, because that seems to be the time that the stats shows that young people are more in a position to pay for their medication," said Wynne.
She said that she will continue to advocate to the feds for a national Pharmacare program.
"We determined that if we wanted to give young people the best start, this is the age group that we needed to focus on."
Wynne said the list of drugs covered will be expanded as needed, as new pharmaceuticals are being tested and released to market continuously.
Of interest to Northerners, also as part of the 2017 provincial budget, Ontario is investing an additional $10 million into the Northern Health Travel Program. It is designed to assist Northerners with the costs associated in travelling southward for medical treatments.
"There were a number of things about this budget that focused on health. I talked about OHIP Plus, but we're also increasing operating funding to hospitals. Every hospital in the province will get at least a two percent increase, but overall, there's a three per cent increase. We're also increasing the Northern Travel Grant. So another $10 million into the Northern Travel Grant because we know it was inadequate, and my hope is that it will ease people's costs," said Wynne.
There are a total of 145 public hospitals in the province, with many, including Timmins and District Hospital, currently dealing with a financial crunch. The province is attempting to alleviate some of those issues.
Wynne, who was joined on her brief trip to the 'City with the Heart of Gold' by Ottawa-Vanier MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers, arrived on Wednesday evening, and was given a tour of a new housing development on the property of the Timmins Native Friendship Centre, but did not field any questions from reporters until Thursday morning. She later flew up to the James Bay coast to visit the Fort Albany First Nation.
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