Imagine getting health care right away. That's what it's like in Japan's universal system. Our new documentary examines their system and lessons for Canada.

Ontario is moving ahead with major reforms to school board governance after several boards were taken over by the province over concerns about spending and oversight. The proposed changes would cap trustee expenses, reduce the number of trustees, and give the province greater authority over how boards operate, all under legislation called the “Putting Student Achievement First Act.” The move comes amid broader concerns about the direction of Ontario’s education system and whether school boards are becoming too focused on administration and politics instead of classroom outcomes. Earlier this year, SecondStreet.org polling found a majority of Canadians believe the K-12 system is headed in the wrong direction and want schools to get “back to basics.” Read SecondStreet.org’s poll here: secondstreet.org/2026/03/31/…

Bruce says he may not be alive today if he had stayed in Canada waiting for heart surgery. After months without answers, the Manitoba patient travelled to the United States for treatment — where doctors quickly identified the seriousness of his condition and operated. “I couldn’t wait a year for heart surgery.” His story is raising new questions about long wait times and whether Canadians should have faster access to care across borders when delays become life-threatening. Watch the full video: secondstreet.org/2025/05/21/…

Canada is facing a growing maternal care crisis and in some communities, expectant mothers are now travelling hours away just to give birth. In an Epoch Times column, SecondStreet.org’s Bacchus Barua examines the growing shortage of maternity services across Canada, the closure of rural birthing units, and the increasing pressure on pregnant women living outside major urban centres. The piece explores what’s driving the problem, why access to maternal care has become so uneven across the country, and what policymakers may need to reconsider if the situation continues to worsen. Read the full column here: secondstreet.org/2026/04/01/…

Canadians are often told to wait — even when treatment is available elsewhere. Under the European Union’s cross-border directive, patients can receive care in other regions or countries if wait times at home are too long. A similar approach in Canada could give patients access to hundreds of additional treatment options across provinces and internationally — helping people get surgeries and procedures sooner instead of waiting months or years in their home province.

You pay too much tax because they waste too much money. City of Toronto spends $2,000 on a plaque for a racoon that died 10 years ago. Premier Eby wastes $354,000 on three fake soccer balls. The feds waste thousands on studies about the life of a grocery cart, letters to a porn star and gender politics of Peruvian rock music... torontosun.com/news/national…

Secondstreet.org uncovered data showing that British Columbia taxpayers are footing a $200M bill for tourists' health care. People are coming into the province, taking advantage of the universal health care system, then leaving Canadians with their unpaid bills.

Why are French patients generally able to access surgeries and after-hours care faster than Canadians, even though France also has a universal health care system? To find out, SecondStreet.org’s Colin Craig and the MEI’s Renaud Brossard travelled to France to speak with their doctors, hospital leaders, economists, and lawmakers about how the country’s health care system actually works. The documentary explores everything from hospital funding models to competition between providers and includes one statistic that may surprise Canadians: private hospitals in France perform 35% of hospital activity while using just 18% of the hospital budget. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/svNuMnmkx5g?si=0tJt…

Windsor Regional Hospital has reportedly lost another $236,000 operating its Tim Hortons location, bringing total losses to nearly $3 million since 2011. That’s money critics say could have gone toward hiring nurses, expanding patient care, or reducing pressure on hospital staff instead of subsidizing a government-run coffee shop. The latest numbers are renewing questions about why the hospital continues operating the locations internally instead of outsourcing them. Read the full story here: secondstreet.org/2026/01/21/…

Three years ago, the Ontario premier noted that his province shares a health care system with North Korea...yet 36 months later, nothing's changed.

A hospital should focus on patients, not running coffee shops. Windsor Regional Hospital spent more than $500,000 operating its own Tim Hortons locations last year alone — bringing the total taxpayer cost to over $3 million over the past decade. As wait times and staffing pressures continue across Canada’s health-care system, many Canadians are asking whether hospitals are doing too much outside of their core health care responsibilities.

The book 1984 wasn't meant to be a "how to" guide for governments.

There is a legal pathway to non-government health care options in Ontario. With some help from the legal team at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, we've laid out exactly what the government needs to do to. See the news release here: secondstreet.org/2026/06/11/…

One of Prime Minister Carney's strengths so far has been to reverse many of his predecessor's damaging policies. It's perhaps unparalleled in recent Canadian politics. Did Wynne reverse as many McGuinty policies? Did Prentice reverse as many Redford policies? Did Eby reverse as many Horgan policies? No. Lots of work is needed to fundamentally chart a new direction for Canada, but @jengerson is right, the architects behind the lost decade need to sit on the sidelines for a bit...

The tweet below from @ExnerPirot is worth a look. Are the "experts" you see on TV and opining in the comment pages actually living in the real world?

Non-residents are travelling to Alberta, receiving health care and not paying their bills, leaving Alberta taxpayers to pick up the tab! See the news release here: secondstreet.org/2026/06/10/…

Rob Shaw: Medical dine-and-dash costing B.C. hospitals millions dlvr.it/TSy8hr

The BC Conservatives say non-residents have racked up more than $200 million in unpaid health bills in British Columbia since 2020. globalnews.ca/news/11896799/…

Secondstreet.org has learned that non-residents are coming to B.C., receiving health care and then not paying their bills, stiffing the health care system with $200M in expenses over past five years. See the news release on our website: secondstreet.org/2026/06/08/…

Every year tourists come to Canada, receive health services and then don't pay their bill. SecondStreet.org has been digging into this problem. Over the last five years, this issue has cost B.C. taxpayers over $200 million. See the news release here: secondstreet.org/2026/06/08/…

For many Canadians, the health care crisis no longer looks like one dramatic moment. It looks like smaller things happening over and over again: - An ER closing for the weekend - A specialist appointment pushed back - A maternity ward hours away - A family quietly considering treatment outside the country Over time, temporary strain starts becoming permanent reality. SecondStreet.org has been examining the growing pressure facing Canada’s health system, including its research on waitlists and delayed access to care. Read more: secondstreet.org/2025/11/26/…