In the news today: Canada’s 2024 health-care spending to reach $372 B

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Health-care spending expected to outpace economy and reach $372 billion in 2024: CIHI

The Canadian Institute for Health Information says health-care spending in the country is projected to reach a new high in 2024. The annual report released Thursday says total health spending this year is expected to hit $372 billion, or $9,054 per Canadian. CIHI’s national analysis predicts expenditures will rise by 5.7 per cent in 2024, compared to 4.5 per cent last year, and 1.7 per cent in 2022. This year’s health spending is estimated to represent 12.4 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product. The report notes that the Canadian dental and pharmacare plans could push health-care spending even further as more people who previously couldn’t afford these services start using them.

Legions struggle with high costs, aging buildings

Some Royal Canadian Legion branches are struggling to keep their doors open, as they face inflation and rising maintenance costs on aging buildings. Several legions say the COVID-19 pandemic hit them hard financially and they’re still struggling to recover, even if they’re no longer at risk of closure. Montreal’s Verdun legion sold its building over a decade ago and now meets once a week in a rented space. The branch in Grenfell, Saskatchewan, has decided to put its building up for sale, due to what its president calls aging membership and an aging building.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Safe consumption site closures to affect hundreds

A new study suggests hundreds of people will lose access to supervised consumption sites in Toronto when the province closes a few of them next year. Researchers with Saint Michael’s Hospital say that will likely mean more public drug use and more overdoses. The Ontario government announced in August that it would close 10 supervised consumption sites across the province next spring because they were too close to schools and daycares. Five of those sites are in Toronto, leaving another five open. A sixth centre in the city may shut down once its lease runs out next year. The supervised consumption sites slated for closure are set to be shuttered by March 31, 2025.

How to care for your mental health if you’re struggling with U.S. election result

The Canadian Psychological Association says the U.S. election has a worldwide impact and it’s normal for many Canadians to have strong emotions about it — whether they’re positive or negative. Association president Anita Gupta, a clinical psychologist, says if people are feeling anxious or distressed about the results, they may want to take a break from news coverage and social media. Gupta says some people may be sleep-deprived from staying up late the last couple of nights to follow the latest developments and she suggests prioritizing sleep tonight. She says anxiety may worsen in some people who were already struggling, and reaching out to friends, family or a mental health professional can be helpful.

Who destroyed B.C.’s Hobo Hot Springs?

British Columbia’s Ministry of Water says it’s investigating after some hot spring pools in Harrison Hot Springs were suddenly filled in with dirt and rocks. The locals call the mineral pools Hobo Hot Springs because it’s free to enjoy, unlike the neighbouring hotel resort or the public mineral pool in the community that’s about 130 kilometres east of Vancouver. The ministry says the springs are Crown resources and changing the pools would require approval, even if on private land, but it received no applications for work in the area. Grand Chief William Charlie with Sts’ailes (sh-HAY’ liss) First Nation says they should have been consulted before anyone made changes to the spring, noting Indigenous people have used the hot pools for medicinal purposes for thousands of years.

Elliot Page among honourees at PTP Pink Awards

Actor Elliot Page, singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and professional hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin are among six prominent LGBTQ+ figures being toasted tonight at the inaugural PTP Pink Awards. The gala is organized by media company Pink Triangle Press to recognize notable LGBTQ Canadians, who each hand-pick an individual or community organization they feel has made a difference. The five honourees chosen by the celebrities will receive $5,000, a spot in an advocacy media campaign, and a portion of the proceeds from a silent auction. Other names being honoured include queer activist Latoya Nugent, two-time Polaris Music Prize winner Jeremy Dutcher and entrepreneur Salah Bachir, who receives the Legacy Award for his philanthropy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press