REPEAT/MEDIA ADVISORY: Health Coalition to announce response to court rulings on Bill 7 Charter Challenge and Orchard Villa case

TORONTO, March 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The courts have ruled on two cases impacting thousands of elderly hospital patients and long-term care residents in Ontario and the Ontario Health Coalition is holding a press conference to announce their response. The first case, known as the Bill 7 Charter Challenge, concerns the requirement that hospitals charge elderly patients $400 per day while they remain in hospital if they refuse to go to a long-term care home that is not of their choosing. The second case — the Orchard Villa case — concerns the Ford government’s granting of a massive new expansion and 30-year license to a for-profit corporation Southbridge at Orchard Villa where they have a terrible record of inadequate care.

When: Thursday, March 13 at 10 a.m.

Where: Goldblatt Partners Law Firm, 20 Dundas Street West, 10^th floor boardroom in person and by Zoom for media across the province. For the Zoom, please click to register here and Zoom will email you the press conference link.

What:

The Ontario Health Coalition and the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly brought a legal challenge to what was known as Bill 7, euphemistically titled the More Beds, Better Care Act (2022), that requires hospitals to charge elderly patients who are classified by the hospital as “Alternate Level of Care” to be charged $400 per day if they refuse to go to a long-term care home not of their choosing. Patients can be sent up to 70 km away in Southern Ontario, and up to 150 km or even further if there are no beds available in Northern Ontario. The court case is a Charter Challenge, known as a Constitutional Challenge or a Challenge under the Charter of Rights. The case was argued before the Ontario Superior Court on Monday, September 23 and Tuesday, September 24. A backgrounder and links to the court filings, evidence and court ruling are available here.

The Ontario Health Coalition and Cathy Parkes, the daughter of a deceased resident, also brought a court challenge seeking a judicial review of the Ford government’s decision to grant an 88-bed expansion and new 30-year license for the 233-bed long-term care home owned by Southbridge at Orchard Villa in Pickering. The Coalition and the families asked the court to quash the license and require the Ford government live up to their own long-term care legislation. Under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act (2021), the government cannot issue licenses to long-term care home owners when their past conduct offers reasonable grounds to believe that the home will be operated in a manner that is prejudicial to the health, safety and welfare of its residents. The case was argued before a panel of judges at the Ontario Divisional Court on Thursday, October 17. A backgrounder and links to the court filings, evidence and court ruling are here.

Who: Steven Shrybman, lawyer, Goldblatt Partners LLB and Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition.

For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition cell (416) 230-6402; Salah Shadir, administration & operations director, Ontario Health Coalition cell (647) 648-5706.