Advocates to hold nationwide Day of Action for federal action to stop two-tier, American-style health care

TORONTO, Aug. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Tuesday, September 1, health coalitions and allies across Canada will hold information pickets, rallies, and other actions in a National Day of Action to amplify our calls on the Federal Government to take action against Alberta's Bill 11.

With the legislation set to take effect on September 1, the Ontario Health Coalition and several other health coalitions are coming together to send an urgent, unified message to the federal government: there is no more time to waste. We are urging federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel and Prime Minister Mark Carney to fulfil their responsibility to enforce the Canada Health Act to protect Canada’s universal, single-payer, public Medicare system and health care for Canadians that is accessible based on need, not ability to pay.

Actions will be held in 26 communities across Canada on Tuesday, September 1 as follows:

ALBERTA
Calgary 12 pm MDT Corey Hogan’s office, 1717 10th Street NW
Edmonton 12 pm MDT Eleanor Olszewski’s office, 12220 Stony Plain Road
Leduc 4:30 pm MDT Mike Lake's office101, 4710 - 50 Street
Lethbridge 12 pm MDT Rachael Thomas' office, 255 8th Street South
Medicine Hat 12 pm MDT Glen Motz’ office, 1306-2810 13th avenue SE
Red Deer 12 pm MDT, Burton Bailey's office, 100A-4315 55th Avenue
St. Albert 12 pm MDT, Michael Cooper’s office, 1220-20 Perron Street

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Vancouver 12 pm PDT Gregor Robertson's office, 360 - 3150 54th Avenue E
Victoria 12 pm PDT Will Greaves' office, 210-852 Fort Street

MANITOBA
Winnipeg 12 pm ADT Doug Eyolfson’s office, D-3092 Portage Avenue

NEW BRUNSWICK
Moncton 12 pm ADT Ginette Petitpas-Taylor’s office, 272 St. George St # 110
Fredericton 12 pm ADT David Myles’s office, 590-77 Westmoreland St.

NOVA SCOTIA
Cape Breton 12 pm ADT Jaime Battiste’s office, 729 Highway 105, Boularderie East

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Yellowknife 12 pm MDT Rebecca Alty’s office, 114-5109 48th Street

ONTARIO
Grey Bruce 10 am EDT Alex Ruff’s office, 1101 Second Avenue E., Owen Sound
Toronto 4 pm EDT Danielle Martin’s office, 622 College Street
Waterloo 12 pm EDT Bardish Chagger’s office, 100 Regina Street S.
Hamilton 11 am EDT Aslam Rana’s office, 25 Charlton Avenue E.
London 11 am EDT Arielle Kayabaga’s office, 390 Commissioners Road W.
Windsor 1 pm EDT Kathy Borrelli’s office, 9733 Tecumseh Road E.
Thunder Bay 12 pm EDT Patty Hajdu’s office, 705 Red River Road
Kingston 3:30-5:30 pm EDT Mark Gerretsen’s office, 234 Concession Street
St. Catharines 11 am-1 pm EDT Chris Bittle’s office, #1-61 Geneva Street

P.E.I.
Cornwall 11 am ADT Heath MacDonald’s office, 4 Meadowbank Rd #2, Cornwall

QUEBEC
Montréal 12 pm EDT Minister of Health Marjorie Michel’s office, 1100, Boulevard Crémazie E.

SASKATCHEWAN
Send letters to MP Buckley Belanger 4-306 Husky Ave., Air Ronge, SK S0J 3G0

Background:

• Alberta’s Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (no. 2), formerly known as Bill 11, passed December 11, 2025.
• The legislation establishes an unprecedented model of two-tiered health care access in Alberta by permitting physicians to work in both the public and private systems concurrently, including charging patients out of pocket for medically-necessary services.
• No other province currently permits this “dual-practice” model.
• Legal opinion prepared by Goldblatt Partners LLP for the Canadian Health Coalition states that Bill 11 violates the principles of comprehensiveness, accessibility, and universality protected and required by the Canada Health Act, and violates the prohibitions against extra-billing and user fees.

Media contacts:

(Alberta) Friends of Medicare Chris Gallaway, 780-995-6659

BC Health Coalition Cherie Payne, 778-999-6235 

Canadian Health Coalition Jason MacLean, 902-549-1888

Manitoba Health Coalition Noah Schulz, 431-844-2650

New Brunswick Health Coalition Jean-Claude Basque, basque122@gmail.com

Nova Scotia Health Coalition Jennifer Benoit, 902-406-9422

Northwest Territories Alternatives North, 867-920-2765

Ontario Health Coalition Natalie Mehra, 416-230-6402
Grey Bruce Brenda Scott, 519-375-5812
Toronto greatertorontohc@gmail.com
Waterloo Jim Stewart, 519-588-5841
Hamilton Janina Lebon, 905-545-5514
London Peter Bergmanis, 519-860-4403
Windsor Patrick Hannon, 519-860-4403
Thunder Bay Jules Tupker, 807-627-6249
Kingston Joan Jardin, 613-305-2716
St. Catharines Sue Hotte, 905-932-1646

PEI Health Coalition Mary Boyd, Chair, 902-969-2693

(Quebec) Coalition solidarité santé Geneviève Lamarche, Coordonnatrice, 514-442-0577

Saskatchewan Rachel Loewen-Walker, rachel@alchemygroup.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d7ad755-3144-490d-81f4-c53aa5308d7e