DELIVERING cHANGE

The McGuinty Government - Eastern Ontario Accomplishments
December 2005

For the past two years, the McGuinty government has been working hard to meet the needs of the Ottawa region. Led by Premier McGuinty, our Eastern Ontario Caucus members have been actively meeting with the community, listening to their concerns and delivering positive change.

Ottawa has also become a leader within the province – shaping policy and legislation. Thanks to Ottawa, spousal reunification has become a priority, end-of-life care is being supported, the high-tech sector is recognized, and our children are getting the highest quality of care.

Health Care
We’re working hard to shorten wait times, provide the necessary health care close to home, and keep hospitals for emergencies. The McGuinty government is working with our hospitals and health care providers to ensure that goals we set out in 2003 are being met, by:

  • Keeping the Cardiac Unit at CHEO
  • Funding 90 per cent of the annual operating costs of Roger’s House Palliative Care Centre for children suffering from cancer
  • Investing in CHEO’s newborn screening program – it has become the home of all screening in the province – an investment of $18 M
  • Opening 2 new MRIs in the region – at the Queensway Carleton and the Montfort Hospital for more than 8,000 scans annually
  • Expanding MRI hours at other facilities to address community needs

Meaning that in addition to those regularly scheduled exams, your government has provided the resources for:

  • 1,518 additional exams at CHEO since 2004
  • 6,120 additional exams at the Ottawa Hospital in the past two years

Funding additional hip and knee surgeries at local hospitals to reduce waiting times for those in need:

  • At the Ottawa Hospital – 402 additional surgeries since 2004
  • At the Queensway Carleton – 225 additional surgeries since 2004
  • At the Montfort Hospital – 115 additional surgeries since 2004

Supporting additional cancer surgeries:

  • 615 additional cancer surgeries at the Ottawa Hospital since 2004
  • 73 additional cancer surgeries at the Queensway Carleton since 2004
  • 29 additional cancer surgeries at the Montfort Hospital since 2004
  • Providing the funds, $125 Million, to expand the Montfort Hospital
  • Providing the hospitals with multi-year funding so that they can make long-term plans, instead of operating year-to-year
  • We increased the budget at the Queensway Carleton by 21.5 per cent
  • Delivering on a commitment to provide more nurses for the region – funding for 116 new nursing positions has been provided
  • Support for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre including more than $13.3 Million for new linear accelerators and bunker upgrades
  • A commitment to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, by providing the funding for a fourth catheterization lab
  • Increased funding for an additional 790 cardiac procedures in 2005
  • A new Cardiac Catheterization machine at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute
  • Five new Family Health Teams in the Region, including two in Ottawa, one in Cumberland, one in Deep River and one in Petawawa
  • In 2005, we uploaded $434,555 in Public Health from the City of Ottawa
  • We’ve delivered a Community Health Centre in Nepean
  • Increased mental health funding, including a focus on youth and keeping those with mental health problems out of jail
  • A new ROH will open in the near future – publicly owned and accountable
  • Spousal reunification got its start here in Ottawa, and since the legislation went into effect, eight couples have been reunited
  • We supported the work of the Hospice at Maycourt and are providing on-going funding so that they can continue their important end-of-life work
  • We’re supporting the Dementia Respite Bungalow – working with families and the community to ensure those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia are getting the care they need
  • The University of Ottawa Medical School received $770,000 to increase the number of family medicine training spaces for 2005
  • The Ottawa Community Care Access Centre will receive more than $8.7 million dollars in 2005/06 in new funding
  • Community Support Services funding was increased by $2,111,698 for the region in 2005

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Education
Under the McGuinty government there is peace and stability in our schools

  • 43 new elementary school teachers have been hired to reduce class sizes cat the Ottawa Carleton District School Board
  • 24 new elementary school teachers have been hired to reduce class sizes at the Ottawa Carleton Catholic District School Board
  • 15 new elementary school teachers were hired to reduce class sizes at the at the CSD catholique du Centre-Est de l’Ontario in 2004/05
  • 9 new elementary school teachers were hired to reduce class sizes at the Conseil des ecoles publiques de l’est de l’Ontario
  • 37 schools at the OCDSB had smaller primary classes in 2004/05
  • 22 schools at the OCCDSB had smaller classes in 2004/05
  • 12 schools at the CSD catholique du Centre-Est de l’Ontario had smaller classes in 2004/05
  • $10.7 Million was provided to Deslauriers School so that they could purchase new facilities
  • We have committed $600,000 to ensure that all high schools in Ontario have the resources to provide CPR training
  • Our $6.2 Billion investment in post-secondary education means that more students will have access to training, programs and quality learning facilities
  • $6.1 M from the Ontario Research Fund has gone to the University of Ottawa for 38 projects
  • Similarly, Carleton University has received $3.8 M for 9 projects from the Ontario Research Fund
  • 35 additional full-time staff will be starting at Algonquin College in September
  • Local schools have been opened up to the community for use after hours and on weekends – our own Ottawa Boards were among the first to sign-on to open their schools to the public
  • In early September 2005, increased funds were delivered to the schools to help them purchase new texts and books for students
  • OCCDSB will receive $1,191,780 to purchase approximately 14,927 books for their elementary and secondary schools
  • OCDSB will receive $2,042,991 to purchase approximately 26,224 new texts for students at both the elementary and secondary level
  • At the UCDSB, $1,117,797 will be available to purchase approximately 12,626 new texts for elementary and secondary student
  • $356,926 will be available to purchase approximately 3,750 books at Conseil des ecoles publiques de l’est de l’Ontario

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Transportation
Our government is proud to be working with the community to deliver a transportation system that is safer and better for the environment

  • We committed to the largest infrastructure project in Ottawa’s history by bringing $200 M to the table to expand O-Train services in the region
  • $18.8 Million was delivered to the City of Ottawa in the form of Gas Tax money, with more than $21 M expected in 2005
  • Widening the 417 in the west end to ensure safer travelling – a move welcomed by the City
  • Expanding Highway 7 to four-lanes, reducing the dangers that have plagued the road
  • Regular meetings with transportation officials to address the needs of our local communities

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Community
The McGuinty government understands that a strong community is a healthy community. That is why we are investing in our communities

  • $445,000 to the City of Ottawa to host the Ontario Summer Games in 2006
  • $350,000 to the help support Winterlude Festivities in 2005
  • We delivered on a commitment to hold an inquiry into Cornwall’s sexual abuse allegations
  • We recognized the bilingual character of Canada’s Capital
  • Over $5 Million dollars to the region to prevent and aide those fleeing from domestic violence
  • Investing more than $4.8 million in childcare to stabilize spaces and offer new ones to those in the region
  • $280,000 per year from the Victims’ Justice Fund to support the Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Service (VCARS) program for areas of SDC and GPR, as well as Akwesasne

February 23, 2006