Province proposes amalgamation of public health units in northwestern Ontario

The province has proposed that all northern public health units be amalgamated into two, from a total of nine, which will force the remaining units to cover thousands of kilometres and hundreds of thousands of people in various communities across the region.

The proposal, if approved, would see the Northwestern Health Unit and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit amalgamated into one.

"Public Health Units operate in community, delivering vaccinations programs, inspecting drinking water supplies, and stepping in when there's an outbreak to identify, contain and stop the spread of illness and disease," NDP health critic France Gelinas stated in a written release Tuesday. 

The proposed cut of 35 public health units and collapsing them into just 10 would leave only two health units left to service all of northern Ontario.

Haley Chazan, press secretary for Health Minister Christine Elliot, said the province plans to consult with municipalities before finalizing changes.

"While the government will bring forward proposals, the specific boundaries of the new regional health units will be finalized in consultation with municipalities," Chazan wrote in an email to CBC.

Another amalgamated unit would cover Nipissing, Muskoka, North Parry South, Sudbury, Algoma, Timiskaming and Porcupine.