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In the wake of an announcement of another 158 jobs cut at the North Bay Regional Hospital, councillor Mike Anthony is calling on the province to change its benchmarks that affect the local facility.
The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions president Michael Hurley, has said no community in Ontario is suffering hospital cuts to the extent that the North Bay community is suffering.
"We are seeing some drastic, drastic hits," Anthony told BayToday, "so we have a motion asking them to review that."
The motion to be presented Monday, and seconded by Jeff Serran also notes that the provincial government has acted quickly in other areas when they see financial need, citing the Syrian refugee crisis.
"They came up with 10 million bucks at the snap of their fingers. There's no question there's a huge issue there.
"They've got tens of millions coming back from the Pan Am games coming in under budget and paying out six million dollars in bonuses."
Anthony is asking the province, that if its got tens of millions of extra dollars is there anything they do to help North Bay maintain its levels of service.
"What I fear is that sometimes solutions that seem to fit 'the province' fit the bulk of the populace in southern Ontario. Here in northern Ontario we have the largest land mass, the most natural resources and about 6-7 per cent of the population.
"I think population and voter-wise we are a nuisance to southern Ontario much of the time. I think we suffer because of it.
Anthony says if council supports his motion, it will be sent to surrounding communities for support, as well as MPP Vic Fedeli and other appropriate members of the legislature.
