Ontario Connecting 9000 More People to Primary Care in Thunder Bay
December 18, 2025
Over $5 million investment brings the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029
December 19th, 2025
THUNDER BAY — As part of its $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team, the Ontario Government is investing $5,249,900 this year to connect up to 9000 people to primary care in Thunder Bay. This investment is part of the government’s Primary Care Action Plan that will help connect 300,000 people to primary care this year.
“This investment will make a real difference for families in our region,” said The Hon. Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay Atikokan. “Connecting up to 9000 more people to primary care means shorter wait times, better access to services, and stronger support for the dedicated professionals who serve our communities every day.”
The following organizations received funding:
- Anishnawbe Mushkiki Incorporated – $734,400
- Harbourview Family Health Team – $1,459,200
- Keewaytinook Okimakanak – $585,800
- Matawa Health Cooperative Incorporated – $1,512,000
- Port Arthur Health Centre FHO – $958,500
These health care teams were funded through a recent call for proposals focused on communities—identified by postal code—with the highest number of residents not connected to primary care, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist. Each successful team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their postal codes and demonstrated readiness to achieve significant progress within a year.
This investment is part of the more than $2.1 billion the Ontario government is investing to support the Primary Care Action Plan that will add over 300 new primary care teams across the province. This includes $235 million in 2025-26 that in part is supporting over 130 new and expanded primary care teams across the province.
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care closer to home for generations to come.
Quick Facts
- Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including registered and registered practical nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, and pharmacists, helping patients to receive more connected and convenient care.
- Eligible teams not selected for funding in this round will be encouraged to refine and resubmit their proposals for the next call for proposals, which is expected to launch in September 2025.
- Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team, led by Dr. Jane Philpott, will implement its action plan supported by the government’s historic investment of more than $2.1 billion to connect approximately two million more people to a family physician or primary care team by 2029, which will achieve the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.
- The Ontario Government recently passed the Primary Care Act, 2025., which establishes primary care as the foundation of Ontario’s health-care system and sets out six clear objectives for Ontario’s publicly funded primary care system to ensure people know what they can expect when connecting to primary care.
Additional Resources
2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario
Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care