At the election forum, I was asked if I was on a healthcare "crusade" - as if that is a bad thing. Interesting choice of words. I had to smile at that one.

Healthcare affects every generation. It is the parent trying to find care for a sick child. It is the family trying to help an aging parent. It is a senior hoping to remain near the people and community they know. And eventually, it is every one of us.

If advocating for better access to healthcare, care for our children, more doctors, local training opportunities, and helping seniors stay close to their families makes me a crusader, then I'm honoured to wear that armour.

A New Personal Care Home for Lac du Bonnet

The new Lac du Bonnet Personal Care Home will replace the existing 30-bed facility with 95 beds — adding 65 new beds. That means more long-term-care capacity here in our community and more opportunities for people to remain closer to family and their support networks.

This is not a small thing. For families who have watched a loved one move far from home because there simply was no space locally, those 65 new beds represent real relief — and real dignity.

Recruiting Professionals, Training Locally

Recruiting physicians and other healthcare professionals improves local access to care. Bringing healthcare training closer to home can also give residents an opportunity to build careers locally, while helping develop the workforce our growing healthcare sector will need.

These two things go hand in hand. When people can train here, they are more likely to stay here. And when they stay, our whole community benefits.

Distance Makes a Hard Situation Harder

I have seen too many families struggle when someone they love needs care that is far from home — or the difficulties in getting a sick child to a specialist in the city. Distance makes an already difficult situation harder, especially when family members are trying to remain involved and provide support.

That is not acceptable when there are things we can do about it.

What Our Community Can Do

While healthcare is primarily a provincial responsibility, that does not mean our community has to sit on the sidelines. We can advocate. We can build partnerships. We can help recruit professionals, support local training opportunities, and make sure Lac du Bonnet's needs are heard.

I am proud of the progress being made, and deeply appreciative of our local physicians, healthcare providers, regional partners, and community members who continue to work toward better care.

So yes — if that makes me a crusader, I'll take it.