Trojan Horse appears in Ontario

Catholic New Times, Sept 12, 2004

A replica of the Trojan horse made an Ontario province-wide tour, this summer and fall. The tour, organized by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/Canadian Union of Public Employees and Ontario Health Coalition, visited various festivals at 85 different communities. The two groups created the giant wooden horse to bring the dangers of public-private hospitals to the public's attention.

"We want Premier McGuinty to honour his election promise and stop the private hospitals in Ottawa and Brampton," says health-care worker Louis Rodrigues. "If they are allowed to go ahead, we will eventually see private hospitals across the province."

"The corporations that get these contracts make profits of 25 per cent a year," says Natalie Mehra, spokesperson for the Ontario Health Coalition. "Those profits translate into worse hospital care-bed reductions of 25 per cent, 14 per cent fewer nurses, and 38 per cent fewer staff."

SEPT. 24 Port Hope, Burlington media events

SEPT. 25 Windsor, London media . event

SEPT. 26 Port Perry Fall Fair

OCT. 16 Arnprior, Petawawa, Chalk River, Deep River

OCT. 17 Sturgeon Falls, media events

OCT. 19 Cochrane, media event

OCT. 20 Timmins, Chapleau, media events

OCT. 21 Blind River, media event