2 arrests made at Ontario PC party’s Ford Fest event in Milton
Police arrested two people at a “Ford Fest” event organized by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in Milton after dozens of protesters gathered outside the venue on Friday.
Halton Regional Police spokesperson Jeff Dillon said Saturday there were roughly 250 protesters at the event, which was billed as Ford Fest GTA West 2024. According to the PC party, the event was intended to celebrate the government’s accomplishments.
Dillon said police made two arrests under the Trespass to Property Act, but would not provide any further details on the arrests. There were no reported injuries, he said.
Protesters, who said they were showing their opposition to some policies of the Doug Ford government, held up signs and flags, saying Ontarians are suffering because of the impacts of government policies, particularly in education and health care.
“We just want to say, things aren’t okay in education, things aren’t okay in Ontario,” Karen Littlewood, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, told a reporter on Friday.
“I don’t think we should be told to go to the vet when we need an MRI. I think those kind of jokes are really offensive.”
Earlier this week, the premier joked about sending “overflow” human patients to a new veterinary hospital in King City, north of Toronto, where he spoke Tuesday at its grand opening.
“By the looks of it, we know where we can send the overflow patients now for MRIs and CAT scans and everything else,” Ford said.
Premier Doug Ford has shuffled his cabinet on Friday after his education minister Todd Smith resigned to accept a job in the private sector. As CBC’s Lorenda Reddekopp explains, the surprising resignation happened on the same day as the Premier’s annual Ford Fest.
Stacy Kennedy, an Oakville, Ont. resident, said at the protest she believes that the government’s policies are failing Ontarians and she is angry. She held up a large sign that read: “Welcome to Ontario. Diagnosed with Cancer While Waiting for a Specialist.”
Kennedy said she was found to have cancer while she was waiting to see a specialized gynecologist. The referral wait times were 18 to 24 months, she said.
She said the cancer was found by an emergency doctor in an ER in the GTA who advocated for her. An oncologist later diagnosed her with a rare ovarian cancer.
She said she was “so sick” but was lucky to have had surgery.
“The health care system is broken. It has collapsed. And a health care system that has collapsed cannot advocate for patients. It cannot advocate for Ontarians,” she said.
“I am standing here for every other Ontarian who cannot get an MRI, who cannot get a CT scan, who cannot get access to timely health care in this province,” she added.
“We are fed up. He needs to go.”
A spokesperson for the premier said earlier this week that Ford was making a joke referring to the size of the 60,000-square-foot, four-storey hospital and that the government has made record investments in the public health-care system, including dozens of new MRI machines and CT scanners in hospitals.
In an effort to reduce wait times for scans, the province announced in June it is looking to double the number of publicly funded MRIs and CT scans offered through private clinics in Ontario. Health Minister Sylvia Jones said at the time that move could provide an additional 100,000 scans each year.
‘It’s up to us to continue to deliver,’ Ford tells crowd
At the event, Ford told the crowd that the government plans to continue what it started when it was first elected six years ago. He said the government has been creating jobs, investing in health care and education, building roads and transit.
“Folks, you put your trust in us, giving us a chance to tackle the big problems, to bring forward bold solutions and to serve the people. Now, it’s up to us to continue to deliver. And my friends, that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Ford said.
“Together, with your support, with working hard every single day to get it done for the people, we’re building a better Ontario, helping hard-working families get ahead. That starts with bringing better jobs and bigger pay cheques to communities across the province.”
Ford said the province is spending an “unprecedented” amount in health care. He said it has added 3,500 new hospital beds since 2020 and will add another 3,000. As for education, he said the province is building $16 billion worth of schools.
The premier added that the province will get “shovels in the ground” for Highway 413 next year.
The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) organized buses to Friday’s event from Toronto, Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo.
In an media advisory, the OFL said the government’s “real accomplishments” include: emergency room closures; loss of nurses from the health care system; overcrowded classrooms and underfunded schools; a Greenbelt land scandal; and an RCMP investigation into “unprecedented corruption allegations.”
In an ad for the event, however, the Ontario PC Party said: “Two years ago, we were elected on our promise to get it done! Looking back, it’s remarkable how far we’ve come. Let’s join together to celebrate all we’ve accomplished with our team of all-stars!”
All guests were required to register to attend the event and identification was required for entry.
CBC News has reached out to the Ontario PC party and will update this story if it provides comment.
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