Ottawa demands better from Doug Ford in first provincewide rally

2 hours ago 7

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For Lyall, who started advocating for health care after retiring from education, Ford’s response to long-term care issues during COVID was an eye-opener. Lyall said she quickly realized that the government “was not interested in looking after the welfare of its people.

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“My parents came here from home … from Poland, and my dad chose Canada because he felt it was a really good country,” she said. “He chose Ontario because it was a really good province, and what he came to and what we now have are two different pictures.

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Protest against cuts to Ontario's health-care and education systems under Premier Doug Ford

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“I don’t want my kids and my grandkids growing up in a world where they can’t afford anything.”

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Ontario funds for health care and hospitals are the lowest rate of any province, according to the Ottawa Health Coalition.

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But health-care issues are not exclusive to Ontario. Skerrett said the Alberta government went even further than Ontario when it passed Bill 11 legislation in December 2025, opening the door to the full U.S.-style privatization of all health-care services.

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“This legislation, in our view, is widely recognized as a direct violation of the Canada Health Act,” he said, calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to do the same.

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Jo Wood, now 87, was one of about 20 of the active members of the Raging Grannies who sang in harmony at the Ottawa Health Coalition protest Saturday at noon.

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Wood has been with the activist group since her retirement in 2003. The group was on stage Saturday to sing, “Mark Carney: they’re breaking the law!”

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Wood said the tune was based on My Bonnie, but the lyrics were adapted to reflect the protest.

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Wood wore a bright yellow knitted hat, which she called “a silly cap” to go along with her colourful dress.

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Ontario’s dire health-care system is no joking matter, but Wood said the hats were a historical sign of resistance among older women activists.

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Wood said the backstory for the silly hats at protests started in Victoria when the nuclear-powered submarines entered Victoria Harbour from the U.S. around 1986, and local concerned women at the time were trying to protest it but were getting ignored.

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“They started to wear these silly hats and got recognized,” she said, adding that the Raging Grannies have carried on with the tradition.

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Silly hats aside, Wood said the premise of the Raging Grannies is to ultimately “make the world a better place” for their grandchildren.

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“You name it, we’re there,’’ she said of protests related to housing, education, poverty and health care.

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“I don’t know what we can do to fight it, but we have to fight it.”

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