'Barlow talking about how essential our public health care is, it is about people's lives.' Photo by Michael Butler.
Photo: ‘Barlow talking about how essential our public health care is, it is about people’s lives.’ Photo by Michael Butler.

Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow spoke about the need to defend and expand public health care to a full house in Campbell River, British Columbia last night. The public event also featured Paul Moist, the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and Lois Jarvis from Citizens For Quality Health Care.

Last night Barlow tweeted, “Packed crowd for health care Town Hall in Campbell River!” Council of Canadians health campaigner Michael Butler tweeted, “Standing room only, 200 + out in Campbell River to #stand4medicare.” And Council of Canadians Board member Pam Beattie tweeted, “Life before medicare illustrates this fight is about life and death.”

A media release for the event highlighted that, “Support for more health care funding in two of Vancouver Island’s new ridings (Vancouver Island North-Comox-Powell River and Courtenay-Alberni) reaches nearly 90 per cent, according to a recent survey conducted for the Hospital Employee’s Union. Yet BC is facing a $5 billion cut to health care funding by the federal government over the next ten years. By refusing to sign a new health accord with the provinces, the federal government is abandoning its responsibility to protect quality public health care services for all British Columbians.”

The forum was hosted by the Campbell River Council of Canadians, the Hospital Employees’ Union and the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

To date, there have been eight other successful town hall meetings in Winnipeg, Moncton, Bridgewater, Regina, North Bay, Charlottetown, Sault Ste. Marie and Oshawa. These are part of the joint CUPE-Council of Canadians Save Our Health Care campaign.

Barlow and Moist will speak at a tenth tour stop tonight in Courtenay.

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Brent Patterson

Brent Patterson is a political activist, writer and the executive director of Peace Brigades International-Canada. He lives in Ottawa on the traditional, unceded and unsurrendered territories of the Algonquin...