In my research for stories here at Woodstein Media and features I am working on for other publishers, I’ve been diving deep into three issues that some of the new faith-based political parties find threatening their way of life. Some of us find their faith-based way of life is endangering our freedoms. I guess it’s not only the new parties. As the Ontario Liberals have reminded us in the wake of the leaked draft decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, Progressive Conservative MPP for Niagara West Sam Oosterhoff has some strong opinions against abortion.

However, in Ontario, you can access safe, legal abortion services during pregnancy’s first and second trimesters. Your Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) will cover the cost of an abortion at most clinics, and you will need your Ontario Health Card number to use your OHIP coverage. If you live in the Woodstein Media area of Huron Perth, find the information you need here. If you are from the rest of Canada, here’s a comprehensive list of clinics that offer abortion services.

I’ve been researching the opioid pandemic and access to clean drugs. Southern Ontario has a vast dead zone for access to supervised consumption sites, and “dead zone” is an appropriate way to word that. Harm reduction saves lives. Having drugs checked to ensure they are free of contaminants is essential. Just as important, if not more important, than having access to clean supplies. From the 401 line of large urban centres to Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, the Health Canada interactive map shows no consumption sites. This needs to change.

The final thing I want to discuss is LGBTQ2S+ support at health clinics. Once again, I’m reporting from an area that falls into an Ontario coverage gap. It is getting better, but there is still a lot of work to be done. My son has to travel to Elora, Ontario, to visit a doctor regarding his transition. Attempts are being made to organize and create a database at Rainbow Health Ontario for all LGBTQ2S+ friendly healthcare in Ontario, but it’s incomplete.

We have work to do. As my wife’s grandmother says, “Good, better, best, never let it rest until your good is better and your better best.”

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