Speaker, yesterday we had the opportunity to meet with the Canadian Cancer Survivor Network here at Queen’s Park. During their all-party cancer caucus, they stressed the necessity of cancer care as part of Ontario’s health care system. One thing that they stressed was the importance of screening and early intervention to increase the likelihood of treatment and remission in individuals.

This hit home for me. Right now, communities like Wawa, Hornepayne, Chapleau and White River are not scheduled as destinations for the Screen for Life mobile cancer screening bus. Screen for Life is a vital service for rural communities that do not have regular access to cancer screenings such as mammograms, pap tests and tests for colon cancer. Without access to a mobile diagnostic service, residents in these communities will have to travel upwards of 250 kilometres one way—and that means they won’t travel and they won’t get caught early.

Speaker, I share the concerns of residents who have reached out to my office about the loss of access to cancer screening and early intervention. We must ensure that rural and remote communities in northern Ontario are not left behind in our efforts to treat cancer across our province.

My office will continue to work with the cancer care programs in northern Ontario to make sure that services to all these communities are returned so that people can once again get timely access to cancer screening close to home.