Millicent Simonics, FEO, April 30, 2026, Volume 7, Issue 17
Photos/Roman Ber
Fort Erie residents packed the Leisureplex Banquet Hall on April 18, united by a shared concern: the future of local health care.
The Fort Erie Healthcare SOS Forum brought together citizens, advocates and elected officials for a two-hour discussion on the region’s ongoing health-care challenges, and what can be done to address them.
Hosted by Heather Kelley, founder of the Fort Erie Healthcare SOS movement, and Sue Hotte of the Niagara Health Coalition, the forum highlighted decades of local advocacy and the continued fight to protect services at Douglas Memorial Hospital.
Hotte traced the issue back to 1997, when the Niagara Health Coalition formed in response to proposed restructuring that threatened local hospital services. At the time, Niagara’s system had 2,000 inpatient beds across eight hospitals serving about 200,000 people.
By 1999, that number had dropped by 1,200 beds.
“Niagara’s healthcare system lost staff and hospitals closed, the system was severely underfunded,” Hotte said.
The changes sparked major community backlash, with more than 5,000 residents protesting in Fort Erie alone.
Since then, she said, the coalition has been “fighting to make sure Niagara has the hospital services and beds it needs.”
Mayor Wayne Redekop addressed the Town’s efforts to strengthen community health care, noting a $3-million municipal commitment toward the new South Niagara Hospital. At the same time, he raised concerns about gaps in the broader system, particularly the closure of urgent care centres.
Urgent care centres, he explained, handle “low acuity issues. With urgent care centers closed, this will overwhelm the emergency centres, leading to a higher cost of treatment in emergency centres.”
Recruiting and retaining physicians remains a key priority for the Town.
“We have good physicians who take on the heavy workload,” Redekop said, adding that new recruits are encouraged to support urgent care services to help keep them operational.
With Niagara’s population now around 525,000, and expected to grow by three per cent annually, the strain on the system is increasing. The proposed South Niagara Hospital will include 469 beds, bringing the regional total to 1,054, still far below historical levels despite a much larger population.
For Redekop, maintaining urgent care is essential.
“We need to be innovative; there are 7,000 people without a physician, and after offices close on the weekend, no one has a physician,” he said.
Town council is also exploring the future of Douglas Memorial Hospital, working with consultants to evaluate building needs, service options and potential partnerships. The goal is to reduce emergency wait times, redirect low-acuity cases, ease pressure on hospital beds and improve overall efficiency.
Hotte, however, criticized Niagara Health’s approach.
“Collaboration is lacking for Niagara Health; their data is out of sync,” she said.
Regional Councillor Tom Insinna spoke about increasing pressure on emergency medical services, calling it a system under strain.
“Paramedics are the frontline, [they] stabilize, diagnose, save lives between home and emergency rooms,” he said, noting Niagara EMS is recognized as a leader in integrated mobile health.
Specialized response teams, including drug crisis and fall-prevention units, are helping to bring care directly to residents.
“Emergency rooms are not the best place for patients, Niagara EMS launches teams to bring health care to you,” Insinna said.
Even so, demand is rising rapidly. Niagara EMS, which covers more than 1,800 square kilometres with 41 ambulances, has seen call volumes jump nearly 17 percent in one year.
In Fort Erie, the average call now takes 98 minutes to resolve, largely due to hospital offload delays.
“We deserve better. We cannot rely on EMS to solve the crisis,” Insinna said.
Hotte pointed to funding challenges as a root cause.
“The Niagara Health System has a deficit problem. Their only option is to start cutting,” she said, adding that staffing reductions have affected multiple areas of care.
She also raised concerns that funding was directed toward private clinics rather than strengthening public services.
MPP for Niagara Falls Wayne Gates acknowledged the community’s past successes, including securing long-term care and hospice services.
“If you didn’t stand up and fight, our hospital wouldn’t be here today,” he said.
MP Fred Davies highlighted federal funding opportunities, including a $5-billion Health Infrastructure Fund to support smaller communities.
“Niagara Health has a responsibility to provide health care south of Highway 20,” he said, pledging to advocate for Fort Erie and Port Colborne.
The forum also gave residents a chance to speak.
Joy Russel, a 91-year-old former nurse and longtime advocate, reflected on decades of activism.
“I saw what was happening and fought tooth and nail to stop it,” she said.
An anonymous Niagara Health nurse shared concerns from the front lines.
“Why are we cutting from the bottom? Why don’t we talk to those from the front line? We have ideas, and we care.”
Throughout the evening, one message was clear: community advocacy remains critical.
“All of this hinges on you, the public,” Redekop said.
Hotte encouraged residents to contact Niagara Health CEO Lynn Guerriero and Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
“The more pressure we put, the more we can keep our facilities open.”
As Russel told the crowd, “It’s time we all stood up and started fighting.”
