Latest from Heather Kitching
In Depth
Patients say getting a doctors appointment in Red Lake is like trying to win the lottery
As physician numbers dwindle in Red Lake, Ont., and the hospital struggles to avoid ER closures, patients are becoming increasingly angry and frustrated by the lack of primary care.
In Depth
How a doctor in Red Lake, Ont., contends with that community's critical physician shortage
The first town in Ontario to experience an emergency room closure due to a lack of available physicians is now seeing more doctors departing or scaling back. They say a decision by the ministry of health to cut the town's physician complement was the catalyst.
Dryden, Ont., scores 3 new doctors starting in 2025
The physician recruiter for Dryden, Ont., says his community has scored a hat trick as three medical residents have committed to serving as physicians there when they complete their residencies in the fall of 2025.
Northwestern Ontario doctors call for reversal of staffing cuts amid pleas to prevent ER closures
A family doctor in Atikokan is among those urging the province to restore physician positions that were recently cut from northern Ontario communities.
Provincial officials say they're working to bring more EV chargers to northern Ontario
Spokespeople for the province, the Ontario Energy Board and the Independent Electricity System Operator say work is underway to improve electric vehicle charging infrastructure in rural and remote parts of the province, including the north.
Province cuts physician position for Red Lake, a blow to those hoping for relief amid doctor shortage
The first hospital in Ontario to temporarily close its emergency room due to a physician shortage in 2022 may now have to make do with even fewer physicians in the community. The province has reduced the physician staffing complement in Red Lake, Ont., from seven full-time equivalents to six.
Smashed windows, trashed vehicles as vandalism spikes in Thunder Bay's central north core neighbourhood
Someone has been throwing objects through windows in the central neighbourhoods of Thunder Bay's north core, and residents say they are frightened and frustrated by the random acts of vandalism.
New online group launches for K-W women who lost their mothers when they were young
A young woman who lost her mother to cancer at 17 has launched an online support group for motherless daughters, women who lost their mothers at a young age and have to navigate life’s milestones without their support.
Hockey team out of luck for lottery licence but Township of Wilmot takes shot at changing Ontario rules
The Township of Wilmot is calling for changes to Ontario rules on issuing lottery licences to amateur sports organizations, after a Junior C hockey team that has relied for years on revenue from 50/50 draws learned it wasn't eligible for such a licence.
Guelph makes summer patios permanent — and revenue neutral
Guelph's city council passed a motion on Tuesday night making permanent the city’s seasonal patio program with provisions aimed at making the initiative more or less revenue neutral.