Ontario Invests $5 Million in Local Health Care
May 15, 2026Cornwall Ontario — The Ontario government is investing more than $5.1 million this year to connect up to 13,687 people in the Cornwall area to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.
“Protecting Ontario starts with protecting the health of communities like SDG, “said Nolan Quinn, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. “Through this investment, our government is connecting more than 13,000 people to high quality health care, close to home, so that more families across SDG can live happy and healthy lives.”
The investment is being made in the Seaway Valley Community Health Centre (SVCHC) which operates with a skilled interdisciplinary medical team of family physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, dietitians and others to bring the best possible care to its local patients. The SVCHC, located in Cornwall, will establish a process to accept new patients and will communicate this to the community. As intake processes roll out, priority will be given to residents without a primary care provider, including those registered through Health Care Connect in eligible communities in the region.
The current services of the Seaway Valley Community Health Centre include:
- Medical consultations with doctors or nurse practitioners
- Telephone and virtual consultations
- Nursing care
- Vaccination clinics
- Pharmacist
- Physiotherapist
- Social work
“We are proud to expand interprofessional primary care services in partnership with other primary care organizations in our community,” said Erin Killoran, Executive Director of Seaway Valley Community Health Centre. “This investment reflects the shared commitment of Seaway Valley Community Health Centre, Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie, Glengarry Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic, and Rideau St. Lawrence Family Health Team to improving access to team based primary care for people across our region. By working together, we can better meet community needs and continue building a more connected, responsive healthcare system.”
Together, these partners are already working as one team—and will continue to do so—to expand access to interprofessional primary care across the region, bringing together family physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, dietitians, pharmacists, and physiotherapists to support comprehensive, connected care.
The Seaway Valley Community Health Centre was funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan, with all 124 teams receiving funding expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario. Each team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their community, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
Through the 2026 Budget, the province is also increasing overall funding for the plan to a total of $3.4 billion between 2025 and 2029.
The province has also exceeded its 2025-2026 attachment goal under the Primary Care Action Plan, which was to connect 300,000 patients to a primary care provider by March 31, 2026. As of January 1, 2026, the province has already attached 330,000 people to care in 2025-2026, surpassing its goal by more than 30,000 with three months still to go.
“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have already exceeded our 2025-26 attachment target,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, our government is taking the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.
Quick Facts
- Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team is drawing on best-in-class models of care to implement its action plan, supported by the government’s investment of more than $3.4 billion to connect approximately two million more people to primary care by 2029, which will achieve the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.
- The government is making significant progress on its goal of clearing the Health Care Connect waitlist as of January 1, 2025. That waitlist has been reduced by more than 87 per cent as the plan continues to hit its targets and deliver faster access to high-quality care.
- Ontarians looking to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner can register with Health Care Connect or call 811.
- Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, physician assistants, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians and pharmacists, helping patients to receive more connected and convenient care.
- Since 2018, Ontario has added nearly 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care workforce, including an over 14 per cent increase in family doctors.
About the Seaway Valley Community Health Centre
The Seaway Valley Community Health Centre is a charitable, not-for-profit, community-led organization created to provide primary health care, health promotion, and community development services to residents of Cornwall and the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. They prioritize care for vulnerable groups including older adults, individuals and families living with low-incomes and newcomers to Canada, as well as those without access to primary health care services.
Medical visits to the SVCHC are by appointment only, and clients must be registered to access a physician or nurse practitioner. However, all residents living in Cornwall and area are welcome to use and participate in the community programs offered by the Centre, including:
- Nutrition and Healthy Eating
- LGBTQ+ Outreach
- Physical Activity
- Mental Wellness, Stress and Self Management
- Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Early Child and Family Care
The Seaway Valley Community Health Centre’s primary facility is located at 353 Pitt Street in Downtown Cornwall. You can reach the Centre online at: