Ontario premier Doug Ford in 2023.
A public rally in protest of decisions being made by the provincial government is being organized for the end of the month.
The “Fight Ford” protest rally is being held on Saturday, May 30th from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the ServiceOntario plaza across the street from Dairy Queen on Pembroke Street.
Organizer Susan Lowe, a retired teacher, says she was inspired to organize the rally based on a variety of concerns she personally has regarding things Doug Ford’s provincial government has been doing over the last few years.
Lowe cited funding cuts in the education, environmental protection, autism and disability services sectors as examples of her problems with the current provincial regime, as well as the ongoing housing crisis, which she understands isn’t exclusive to Ontario but which she feels isn’t being addressed adequately by the Ford government.
Healthcare funding is another major pain point, according to Leona Haley, the chairperson of the Renfrew County Health Coalition.
Haley is throwing her support behind the rally, saying the coalition – one part of the greater Ontario Health Coalition – is non-partisan and supports policies that benefit the healthcare sector regardless of who proposed them.
Haley also wants to stress that she and her coalition have no issue with the care being provided by individual workers in the Ottawa Valley, and that the goal of the rally is to bring about changes at a more systemic level.
Lowe says at least 60 different communities will be holding rallies like this on May 30th, and every subsequent month going forward. Details can be found on the Fight Ford Pembroke Facebook page.
(Steve Berard)
