NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. — Cape Bretoners sick and tired of waiting for answers about their health care will be packing onto buses and heading to the health minister’s office this week.
Organized by a group known as Capers4Healthcare, the Get on the Bus initiative will be held Friday, with a convoy of tour buses heading to Randy Delorey’s office in Antigonish.
Group member Ronald Crowther said the idea sprang from a town hall meeting in September where residents pressed for action.
Delorey had been invited to attend that meeting, which followed the Liberal government’s June announcement that two area hospitals would close and a pair of hospitals would expand.
Delorey blamed prior commitments for his inability to attend.
“It’s been going on for almost two years or so, just different rallies and town halls and events about health care and the premier (Stephen McNeil) and the health minister have been invited to all of them and never attended,” said Crowther.
“We had about 400 to 500 Northside citizens attend (our recent meeting) and after several physicians spoke and councillors, we handed the microphones over to the crowd.
“The crowd actually acknowledged the fact that the premier and the health minister didn’t attend to hear our concerns (and mentioned) that we should do something as organizers.”
Crowther said a motorcade of buses, along with individuals driving their own vehicles will slow down traffic Friday at the Canso Causeway beginning around 11:30 a.m.
The group has received a small pool of donations that will cover the cost of renting the vehicles.
“We are going to do a short march across the causeway kind of as a statement that the health minister wouldn’t come to us, so we as Cape Bretoners are leaving the island and coming to him,” he said. “And then we’re going to have a two-hour rally/protest and some speakers outside his office in Antigonish.”
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An RCMP detachment will provide traffic control at the causeway that will allow the march to take place over the course of approximately 30-45 minutes.
Fellow Capers4Healthcare organizer Lisa Bond said this type of action wouldn’t be necessary if Delorey would simply meet with the group as requested.
The mother of two special needs children said residents are tired of the government’s secrecy.
“We’ve heard nothing since and we’ve all reached out and contacted him,” she said of Delorey. “There’s phone calls made every day, emails, letters sent and no response.
“It’s terrifying. We have a lot of seniors in the area, especially in the two areas (North Sydney and New Waterford) where the hospitals are closing and people don’t necessarily have the money to get a cab to the hospital.
“A lot them don’t have family doctors and there’s just no answers at all. Even if they could say to us, this our plan, this is our timeline — this is what’s happening but we’re not getting any of that.”
Delorey recently spoke to the Cape Breton Post about the fact the region will be reduced to four psychiatrists — one-quarter of what mandates a full complement of doctors — with a recent announcement that site lead Dr. Scott Milligan is resigning, effective Jan. 31.
Delorey said he’s aware of the vacancies in psychiatry in Cape Breton, noting the Nova Scotia Health Authority has set it as a priority in its specialty recruitment efforts.
In Cape Breton, the average wait time for adults seeking mental health services is 363 days.
Anyone seeking to join the bus trip can secure a spot by phoning 902-304-4626 or emailing [email protected].
Friday’s bus trip schedule (All times are estimations and subject to change):
7 a.m., Passenger pickup, St. Michael’s Church, New Waterford.
7:35 a.m., Passenger pickup, Mayflower Mall.
8:10 a.m., Passenger pickup, Sobeys Keltic Drive.
8:45-9:15 a.m., Passenger pickup, Emera Centre North Sydney.
10 a.m., Passenger pickup, Tim Hortons on Shore Road.
10:30 a.m., 20-minute rest stop, Tim Hortons/Irving, Whycocomagh.
10:50 a.m., Departing Whycocomagh.
11:25-11:30 a.m., Arrival at Canso Causeway. Buses unloaded and participants line up along with vehicles for motorcade/march.
11:45 a.m., March across causeway, protest begins (30 minutes to one hour).
12:40 p.m., Passengers reload on buses (10 minutes).
12:50 p.m., Depart causeway.
1:25 p.m., Arrival at Health Minister Randy Delorey’s constituency office in Antigonish (two hours).
3:30 p.m., Buses return and passengers board.
3:40 p.m., Depart Antigonish.
4:50 p.m., Rest stop, Tim Hortons/Irving in Whycocomagh.
6:20 p.m., Passenger drop off, Emera Centre.
6:40 p.m., Passenger drop off, Sobeys Keltic Drive.
7:10 p.m., Passenger drop off, Mayflower Mall.
7:30 p.m., Passenger drop off, St. Michael’s Church, New Waterford.
