Outaouais Health Forum confronts $348M gap and urges shift in power

Tashi Farmilo

The chronic underfunding of health and social services in the Outaouais took centre stage on September 18 at a public forum held at the Maison du Citoyen in Gatineau. Elected officials, health workers, and local organizations gathered for the Forum Santé Outaouais 2025 to demand fair funding and more control over how healthcare is delivered in the region. The message was clear: the Outaouais is being left behind.

The event was organized by Action Santé Outaouais, AQDR Outaouais, and the Conférence des préfets de l’Outaouais. At the heart of the forum was a number that set the tone—$348 million. That’s how much less the region is estimated to receive each year in health funding compared to other areas of Quebec. Speakers and community members linked that funding gap to the real-life challenges people in the Outaouais face every day when trying to access care.

Five regional leaders took the stage: Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, Chantal Lamarche (MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau), Marc Carrière (MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais), Jane Toller (MRC Pontiac), and Paul-André David (MRC Papineau). All pointed to the same reality: the region is growing, its needs are increasing, but the services and staff needed to support that growth simply aren’t there. They called for decisions to be made closer to home and for funding to reflect the region’s true needs.

Steve Brabant, Director General of Cégep de l’Outaouais, and Murielle Laberge, Rector of Université du Québec en Outaouais, highlighted the challenges in training and keeping healthcare workers in the region. They stressed the need for long-term investment in local education programs and better support for students pursuing health careers. Dr. Marc Bilodeau, CEO of the Outaouais health authority (CISSSO), also addressed the forum, outlining internal efforts to improve services but acknowledging the deep structural challenges the region faces. Among the biggest concerns raised was the severe shortage of health professionals, more than 1,400 positions are currently unfilled.

In the Pontiac, 80 percent of residents now cross into Ontario to get care, a situation Jane Toller described as unacceptable. The closure of the obstetrics unit in the Pontiac has forced expectant mothers to travel to Pembroke or Gatineau to give birth. As a result, more C-sections are being scheduled simply to ensure women can plan around the long travel distances. Toller stressed that women have the right to give birth where they live and said the Pontiac is determined to get its birthing services back.

Seniors’ care is another major issue. The region is already short almost 400 long-term care beds, with that gap expected to grow to 1,400 by 2040. The Outaouais also ranks last in Quebec for publicly funded hours of in-home care. With not enough family doctors and few alternatives, many older adults struggle to get support, especially if they want to stay at home.

Mental health services were described as fragmented and underfunded, particularly outside Gatineau. Community organizations are stretched thin, with long wait times and unstable funding. Rural areas face added challenges: distance, transport, and language all make it harder to get timely support.

Throughout the forum, participants pushed for local, practical solutions. Suggestions included creating planning tables with real decision-making power, developing an innovation hub to support hiring and research, and expanding training programs in the region. Some proposed offering housing incentives to attract healthcare staff, better recognition of foreign-trained professionals, and stronger pathways from high school and college into healthcare careers.

Calls were also made to bring decision-making back to local CLSCs (community health and social service centres), especially in remote and Indigenous communities. For seniors, participants recommended cooperative housing options and guaranteed home care hours that reflect what people need. On mental health, ideas included long-term funding for community groups, mobile crisis teams, and better links between schools, clinics, and youth services.