Ontario Nurses' Association

10/13/2026

Premier FordNation claims to be investing more in health care than ever before, and yet educated and experienced nurses are still looking for employment.

Read this member's first-hand account: https://onamag.org/fight/the-vent/mixed-messages/

10/12/2026

A new report from our friends at the Ontario Health Coalition reaffirms why ONA members must continue to fight against health-care privatization.

Read the full story to learn more about their report: https://onamag.org/fuel/code-blue/anti-privatization-fight/

10/11/2026

In this Vent, an ONA member notes how they feel like primary care in Ontario is being forgotten.

Read their Vent: https://onamag.org/fight/the-vent/primary-concerns/

And submit your own: https://onamag.org/contact/

10/10/2026

Today is , the perfect time to raise awareness and educate the public about the importance of supporting the mental health of health-care professionals and all Canadians.

Learn more: https://ona.org/news/mental-health-awareness-week/

10/09/2026

If you have a story or an experience you've wanted to share anonymously with other nurses and health care professionals, we want you to Vent it!

The Vent section of ONA's F-Word digital magazine is where you share your stories of your fight and solidarity in action.

How do you Vent your story?

Step 1: Share it using this confidential form: https://onamag.org/contact/
Step 2: We'll review it, remove any identifying information, and post it anonymously here: https://onamag.org/fight/ -vent

Share your vent today!

10/09/2026

In this piece, ONA member Leslie Davis shares her experiences as a part of the ONA contingent at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival parade this past August.

"For me, Caribbean Carnival is more than a parade. Rooted in the history of Emancipation Day, it represents freedom, resilience, cultural pride and the ability to celebrate who we are. It’s an opportunity to honour the struggles of those who came before us while celebrating the culture and traditions passed down through generations."

Read her full article: https://onamag.org/fuse/rights/carnival-embodies-family/

10/08/2026

Ontario’s emergency departments (ED) are in deep crisis due to understaffing and chronic underfunding, and Premier FordNation’s latest “action team” will only make matters worse, says ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN.

“Emergency departments across the province are under extreme pressure with rampant violence and hallway health care as a result of Premier Ford’s nursing cuts and systematic underfunding,” says Ariss, noting that the Ford government’s announcement to sink millions into an Emergency Department Action Team will do nothing to improve patient care delivery.

“Premier Ford clearly has money to spend on private health care and ‘action teams’ whose main purpose is to identify service cuts, but his government refuses to invest in solutions that actually improve patient care,” notes Ariss. “Instead of pretending to improve ED wait times while cutting nurses and gutting hospitals, the Ford government should be funding public health care and mandating safe staffing ratios.”

ONA is expressing serious concerns about the government’s use of Lean methodology. This approach was developed by the automotive sector to improve production processes, eliminate waste and increase efficiency. “A hospital is not a car manufacturing plant, and a patient is not a product moving down an assembly line. Using a method developed for inanimate objects in the health-care setting will – and has – cost lives,” says Ariss.

The Financial Accountability Office recently reported that the Ford government is underfunding public health by about $5 billion over the next two years, at significantly lower rates of growth than the previous three years. The FAO projects this will result in the loss of thousands more hospital beds and nurses.

“Premier Ford is cutting Ontario’s public health-care system to the bone,” says Ariss. “If he is serious about fixing public health care and our overburdened emergency departments, he must fully fund the system and follow other provinces by implementing safe staffing ratios.”

See the full release: https://ona.org/news/20261008-emergency-department-understaffing/

10/08/2026

ONA members are sending our deepest condolences and solidarity to the family, friends, and coworkers of Sarah Paton. We mourn together, and we pay tribute to her impact with a message from those that knew and worked with her:

There are no words to describe the devastation felt upon hearing the news that one of our own was on the flight that went missing off the coast of Nantucket on Friday night.

Sarah Paton has worked alongside many of us in the Welland Emergency Department and the St. Catherine's ICU.

To know her was to love her. She was passionate, unbelievably kind, boisterous, and filled with an unmatched energy that she poured into her family, friends and patients. She was truly an amazing nurse, whose advocacy and dedication to helping others lead her to medivac transport nursing - a job that she loved.

Sarah was always willing to give a helping hand, bring in treats for her coworkers (including the therapy animals), and made sure to celebrate every birthday and holiday with gusto! She could always be found cheering on the Bills/Eagles with her partner J.J., playing with her favourite pup Fulton and never saying no to an adventure. Her happy smile and fun-loving nature was always on display, lightening the mood of every room she walked into. This made her a favourite amongst her nieces and nephews and the kids of the ICU nurses on their annual camping trip.

Sarah touched countless lives - as a friend, a nurse and a colleague. She was truly one of a kind and her generous spirit was continuously making the world around her a better place. Her legacy will live on in every act of kindness and her spirit will always remind us to live our lives to the fullest.

10/08/2026

A member shares an interaction with a resident that made them proud to be a nurse.

Read their Vent: https://onamag.org/fight/the-vent/proud/

And submit your own: https://onamag.org/contact/

10/07/2026

ONA shares the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions concerns around how Bill C-39 would infringe on the rights of workers across Canada. Read their statement:

The CFNU strongly condemns the aspects of Bill C-39 that infringe on a workers’ right to strike. Bill C-39’s changes to Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code are an attack on workers’ constitutional right to strike and threaten the fair negotiating process. Canada’s nurses will always support free and fair labour relations as a cornerstone of a democratic society. Taking away the power workers have – to negotiate fair wages, benefits and good working conditions – is not only undemocratic but also contrary to the national interest. The anti-constitutional powers found in this new Bill must be removed.

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La FCSII condamne fermement les aspects du projet de loi C-39 qui portent atteinte au droit de grève des travailleuses et travailleurs. Les modifications apportées par le projet de loi C-39 à l’article 107 du Code canadien du travail constituent une attaque contre le droit constitutionnel des travailleuses et des travailleurs de faire la grève et menacent le processus de négociation équitable. Les infirmières et infirmiers du Canada soutiendront toujours des relations de travail libres et équitables comme pierre angulaire d’une société démocratique. Retirer aux travailleuses et travailleurs le pouvoir de négocier des salaires équitables, des avantages sociaux et de bonnes conditions de travail n’est pas seulement antidémocratique mais également contraire à l’intérêt national. Les pouvoirs anticonstitutionnels présents dans ce nouveau projet de loi doivent être supprimés.