Private plasma clinic cancels planned Ontario expansion

A private plasma clinic says it is cancelling plans to open seven other locations in Ontario but will try to keep operating its Hamilton and Toronto locations despite the province's proposed ban on payments to people for their blood and blood plasma.

Canadian Plasma Resources chief executive Barzin Bahardoust says the company aims to keep its three clinics that are already open — two in Toronto, one in Hamilton — going without offering compensation.

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But he expects that without the $25 in gift cards or charity donation the company had offered, it will be too hard to attract enough donors to make the business viable.

Bahardoust says the three clinics were "pilots" but that any further involvement in Ontario is now off the table as the company looks to instead expand in unspecified provinces in Western Canada.

He says the company hopes the province will allow them to collect donations for research purposes only, which is exempted under the government bill.

If passed by the Liberal majority government, the legislation would see Ontario join Quebec in banning plasma payments.