Media Advisory: Southeastern Ontario Communities Join Referendum Initiative to Save Local Hospitals

KINGSTON, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 20, 2016) -

Attn: Assignment Editor

Communities across Southeastern Ontario are announcing that they are joining in the grassroots referendum to safeguard and restore local community hospital services from cuts. They will be holding media events and are available for interviews regarding this ambitious and unique initiative. The media events will be highly visual.

Volunteers in more than 40 communities across Ontario have now launched the cross-province volunteer-led referendum. Momentum continues to build as more and more communities join-in the mass vote.

Public hospitals across Ontario are experiencing devastating cuts. Ontario is currently in the ninth consecutive year of real-dollar cuts to global hospital budgets, the longest stretch in Ontario's history. These cuts mean that local public hospitals across the province cannot keep up even with basic inflation. Hospitals have been cut to the point of dangerous overcrowding and understaffing and patients are paying the price.

What: Media events announcing plans to join Ontario-wide volunteer-led referendum.

Who: Ontario Health Coalition and local coalitions across Southeastern Ontario.

When & Where:

Tuesday May 24

Kingston: 10:30 a.m., in front of Sophie Kiwalas' office, LaSalle Mews, 303 Bagot St. Visuals include ballots and ballot box. Contact: Harold Pickering, co-chair, Kingston Health Coalition, 343-333-6412.

Brockville: 2:30 p.m., Brockville General Hospital, near Emergency entrance off Ormond St. Visuals include ballots and ballot box. Contact: Curtis Coates, co-chair, Brockville Health Coalition, 613-246-2015.

Trenton: 2 p.m., corner of King St. & Catherine St., near Emergency sign at Trenton Memorial Hospital. Visuals include, red balloons, ballots and ballot box. Contact: Rhonda Reynolds, Campaign Organizer for Quinte West, 613-965-1077.

Smiths Falls: Contact: Kim Johnston, Campaign Director, Ontario Health Coalition & native resident of Smiths Falls who is working with family and friends to set-up referendum voting stations, 647-381-7025.