NDP Plan for Northern Ontario: Local Doctors, Affordable Food, Better Roads

TIMMINS — Today, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced key elements of the NDP’s Northern Ontario platform—focused on fixing health care, lowering grocery prices, investing in infrastructure, and protecting access to French-language services in the North.

“For too many people in the North, life is getting harder,” said Singh. “It’s harder to find a doctor, harder to afford groceries, and harder to access basic services. And now, with Trump threatening Canadian jobs, people need leaders who will stand up for them—and make sure Ottawa never forgets the North.”

Singh made it clear: these commitments are just part of a broader plan to deliver for Northern communities and ensure Ottawa never forgets the people who live there.

A Plan to Fix the Health Care Crisis in the North:

In Northern communities, people are facing a health care system that feels increasingly inaccessible, underfunded, and overwhelmed. Family doctors are in short supply, with Northern Ontario facing one of the worst family doctor shortages in the country. Mental health supports are nearly impossible to find. Emergency rooms are stretched beyond capacity—and addictions and homelessness are growing with no real help in sight.

The NDP’s plan will:

• Train more doctors from the North and support them to stay.
• Invest in regional medical schools in rural, remote, and underserved communities.
• Provide grants and fair wages for doctors who commit to northern practice.
• Increase Indigenous representation in health care and require cultural humility training.
• Fully implementing Jordan’s Principle, so First Nations children are never denied the care they need.
• Streamline credentials for internationally trained and U.S. doctors.
• Cut back on paperwork so health workers can focus on care.
• Offer an additional 1% in federal health transfers to provinces that implement these measures.

This plan builds on advocacy from the community and from New Democrats in Parliament which forced the Liberal government in June 2024 to finally announce $1.2 billion towards the redevelopment of the Weeneebayko General Hospital facility.

A Plan to Make Groceries Affordable Again

In the North, grocery bills are breaking the bank. Families are paying double or more for basic items like milk, bread, and produce. The federal Nutrition North program is supposed to help—but corporate chains are keeping too much of the money, and families are still left paying the price.

The NDP’s plan includes:

• Fixing Nutrition North so the subsidy goes straight to people—not corporations.
• Giving communities control over which items are covered.
• Making pricing transparent and accountable.
• Investing in local food programs that support traditional harvesting and reduce costs.

“No one should be paying $12 for a jug of milk,” said Singh. “We’re going to fix the program, cut out the corporate middlemen, and make sure families in the North can afford the basics.”

A Plan to Rebuild Roads and End Isolation

From dangerous winter conditions to delayed repairs and load restrictions, Northern roads are failing the people who rely on them. The result is more than inconvenience—it’s isolation, risk, and a daily reminder that Northern infrastructure is treated like an afterthought.

The NDP’s plan includes:

• Twinning key highways, including the Trans-Canada.
• Fixing maintenance backlogs and dangerous road conditions.
• Investing in all-season roads for communities that choose year-round access.
• Improving winter roads as climate change makes seasonal travel more difficult.
• Raising the bar on trucker safety and training, with national standards.
• Building through the NDP’s Build Canadian, Buy Canadian plan, using Canadian materials and labour.

“People shouldn’t feel cut off from their own country,” said Singh. “We’re going to invest in the roads and connections Northern families rely on—because safe travel and reliable infrastructure should be a basic, not a bonus.”

A Commitment to Franco-Ontarians in the North

Northern Ontario is home to some of the strongest and proudest Francophone communities in the country—but too often, their services are overlooked or underfunded.

The NDP’s plan includes:

• Protecting and expanding bilingual services, especially in health, education, and federal programs.
• Supporting French-language post-secondary institutions, like Université de Hearst and Collège Boréal.
• Upholding access to justice and government services in both official languages.

“French-speaking Northerners deserve the same access to services as anyone else,” said Singh. “We’ll make sure the federal government reflects the reality of the North—bilingual, diverse, and proud.”

A Canada That Works for the North, Not Just the Wealthy

While Conservatives push cuts and Americanization, and Liberals stall with studies and excuses, New Democrats are offering what people in the North have been asking for: solutions that deliver.

“We believe Canada works best when no one gets left behind,” said Singh. “That’s why sending more New Democrats to Ottawa matters—because we’ll fight to protect what makes Canada, Canada: public health care, strong communities, and a promise that no matter where you live, you’re never on your own.”