Schreiner calls for “Healthcare not Highways”, commits to cancelling Highway 413

February 13, 2025

CALEDON — Ontario Greens’ Leader Mike Schreiner was in Dufferin–Caledon alongside local candidate and former Orangeville mayor Sandy Brown to highlight the party’s commitment to cancelling Highway 413 and spending the money to meet the health care needs of rural communities. Schreiner and Brown were joined by local advocacy groups including representatives from Headwaters Against Highway 413, Halton Hills Climate Action, and Stop Highway 413 Now community group.

“Stopping Highway 413 is a pillar of our plan to protect the people and places we love against Doug Ford’s anti-Greenbelt agenda – thanks to the strong leadership of local champions like Sandy Brown and grassroots advocacy groups,” said Mike Schreiner. “Sandy knows Ontarians can’t afford to waste $10 billion dollars on a highway that will pave over 2,000 acres of prime farmland and slice through the Greenbelt when people in our rural communities don’t have access to health care.

“That’s why I’m announcing today that Ontario Greens would cancel Highway 413 and redirect the $10 billion into desperately needed healthcare and mental health care, including:

• Ensure everyone has a primary care provider within 3-4 years, by recruiting 3,500 more doctors in Ontario through more medical school positions and more residency opportunities for international medical graduates
• Fix the healthcare staffing shortage by providing equal pay for nurses, doctors and PSWs across all communities and healthcare settings in Ontario to increase capacity in rural and remote communities,
• Mental health care with your OHIP card not your credit card, by covering mental health and addiction care for all under OHIP”

“Instead of standing up for the healthcare needs of our community and doing her job as Ontario’s Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones has abandoned our community to support Doug Ford’s plan to waste $10 billion on a highway we don’t need,” said Brown.

“There are over 15,000 people in Dufferin-Caledon who don’t have a family doctor, and the riding needs to recruit 43 family doctors in the next six years to meet demand. As your MPP, I’ll take real action to protect our communities and ensure that everyone has access to a family doctor so that rural Ontarians aren’t left behind.”

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