Travel grant for out-of-town care voted down at Queen's Park, 71-40

Queen's Park voted down, 71-40, a Windsor West bill to plan a travel grant for Ontarians who must go 100 km or more for specialist care. MPPs Dowie, Leardi and Jones voted no; Gretzky voted yes. The travel grant still covers only the north.

By Kyle L. Stewart | Published Oct. 30, 2026, 5:38 p.m. ET | Windsor, Ontario

Topics: Community

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A bill from Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky that would have started work on a province-wide medical travel grant was voted down at Queen's Park on Thursday, Oct. 29, 40 to 71.

What the bill would have done

Bill 117, the Access (Assistance for Care, Commuting and Essential Specialized Services) Act, 2026, would have required Ontario's Minister of Health to examine a grant program to help pay travel costs for Ontario residents who must travel at least 100 kilometres one way to reach specialist care that is not available locally. To qualify, people would need a referral from a primary care clinician, original receipts, and costs not already covered by another program or insurance. The minister would have had six months to table a report, including the steps to have the program fully funded.

How local MPPs voted

The bill was lost at second reading, with 40 ayes and 71 nays. Lisa Gretzky (NDP, Windsor West) voted yes. Andrew Dowie (PC, Windsor-Tecumseh), Anthony Leardi (PC, Essex) and Trevor Jones (PC, Chatham-Kent-Leamington) voted no.

What was said in debate

Opening debate on Wednesday, Oct. 28, Gretzky said the bill was inspired by Windsor-Essex families who travel to London, Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa for specialized care, and that councils in LaSalle, Amherstburg, Essex and Leamington had backed the idea. She said it would not cover care in other countries.

Speaking for the government, Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Bill Rosenberg pointed to the Ontario Northern Health Travel Grant, which he said was expanded in 2024, including raising the accommodation allowance from $100 to $175 a night, and to investments in hospitals and services in northern Ontario.

What it means for you

Ontario's Northern Health Travel Grant is for residents of northern Ontario. With Bill 117 defeated, there is no provincial travel grant for Windsor-Essex patients who must leave the region for specialist care, so gas, parking, meals and hotel costs stay with families.