DOCTORS PRESS PREMIERS FOR ACTION AS COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION MEETS

Canada’s medical establishment issued a pointed joint statement as premiers gathered in Prince Edward Island for the Council of the Federation summer meeting, warning that the country’s health workforce and access crisis has reached a critical point. <cite index=”11-1″>The Canadian Medical Association, joined by provincial and territorial medical association presidents from Alberta to Yukon, noted that nearly 6 million Canadians lack a family physician, and that health systems face significant pressures including another summer of emergency room closures.</cite>

The joint statement pressed premiers on two specific legislative asks: passage of the federal Safe Social Media Act (Bill C-34) to address the mental health harms of platforms on young people, and support for connected-care legislation (Bill S-5) this fall to enable pan-Canadian patient data sharing and reduce physician administrative burden. <cite index=”11-1″>The associations also urged premiers to stand united against any health care proposals that run counter to the spirit of the Canada Health Act.</cite>

The statement is notable less for its specific asks than for its framing: physician leadership from every province and territory signing a single document aimed squarely at a premiers’ summit signals that the profession views this summer’s political calendar — rather than any single legislative vote — as the moment of maximum leverage. It also lands against the backdrop of Ottawa’s April 2026 Canada Health Act services policy, which requires provinces to publicly fund services delivered by non-physician providers or face transfer-payment deductions, a compliance deadline that continues to generate friction between Ottawa and several provinces.

Sources: Canadian Medical Association; Canadian Nurses’ Association