Healthcare

Extendicare is eliminating approximately 21 employees at its Countryside long-term care home in Sudbury, Ontario. The workforce reduction will affect nurses, support aides, maintenance workers, and janitorial and housekeeping staff.

The Ottawa Hospital announced a 3% workforce reduction affecting management, non-union, support, executive, nursing and other health-care positions across its 13,281-employee organization. The hospital estimates more than 100 front-line staff, mainly nurses and personal support workers, will be affected based on union discussions.

London Health Sciences Centre is eliminating more than 212 registered nursing (RN) positions over the next three to five years as part of a restructuring process to align staffing levels with other Ontario hospitals. The cuts will occur through attrition via voluntary resignations and retirements, while the hospital simultaneously hires 108 registered practical nurses (RPNs) during the same period.

LifeLabs is cutting its 40-person Sudbury, Ontario workforce in half, resulting in 20 layoffs. The company cancelled its previously planned facility closure scheduled for May 17, 2026, and will instead continue operations with a reduced staff while prioritizing current employees for newly available roles.

Batshaw Youth & Family Centres cut ten youth worker positions at the Centre de réadaptation jeunesse de Prévost in Quebec's Laurentians region. These layoffs eliminated 30 shifts per week, and staff members report that successive job cuts have impeded supervision of youth in their care.

Ontario hospitals have eliminated approximately 700 front-line nursing and health worker positions since January 2025, primarily as cost-cutting measures to address dire financial straits. More than 100 Ontario hospitals are forecasting year-end deficits despite facing a combined $1.8-billion working capital deficit.

The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) is suspending its medical transportation program in Thunder Bay, Ontario as of April 1, 2026, resulting in the layoff of more than 20 First Nation staff members. The program suspension is due to lack of proportional funding from Indigenous Services Canada and the Non-Insured Health Benefits program despite providing approximately 38,000 rides since its launch in April 2024.

Bruyere hospital announced the elimination of 55 positions (46 personal support workers and 9 registered practical nurses) in response to a budget deficit. The layoffs have prompted over 100 health care workers to rally and urge the Ford government to stop cuts and fund hospital services.

Canada's largest hospital network, University Health Network (UHN), cut 28 registered nurse positions, primarily in a critical kidney care unit (hemodialysis unit). The Ontario Nurses Association warned that these cuts worsen staffing shortages, burnout, and patient safety risks in a province already facing the lowest number of registered nurses per capita in the country.

Fifty-five front-line nurses and personal support workers at Ottawa's Bruyère Health are facing layoffs, according to their union. The organization is referring to the action as a 'redeployment process.'

The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre plans to eliminate 15 jobs at its long-term care facility (Royal Ottawa Place) and an additional 5 jobs elsewhere, affecting nurses and personal support workers. The union CUPE 942 warns the cuts will negatively impact care for patients with serious mental health issues, while the hospital disputes this and claims the staffing changes reflect regular business operations.

Perley Health, a long-term care home in Ottawa, is cutting 52 positions including 39 unionized and 13 non-unionized roles, representing about six per cent of its workforce. The layoffs affect personal support workers, housekeeping, and kitchen staff, with workers and union representatives expressing concerns about potential impacts on the quality of care for residents.