By Emily Stonehouse
Barbara Doyle is no stranger to working with people. As the managing director at Kawartha Lakes Museum and Archives, with a background in management, real estate, and human rights advocacy, Doyle is deeply immersed in the history, the stories, and the needs of her community.
As the New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate for Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, and Brock townships in the upcoming provincial election, Doyle is committed to representing her community and the surrounding areas by putting the people first.
And she’s made it clear that accessible healthcare is top of mind during this election. “It’s our number one priority,” she said. “We have to get the Minden ER re-opened.”
Minden’s emergency room (ER) was closed in June of 2023, after a short few months of notice was given. The closure left the community scrambling to understand the reasoning behind the abrupt decision, and advocates are still fighting for the re-opening both at a local level, as well as provincially.
“We need to stop blaming institutions that are chronically underfunded for their closures,” said Doyle. “We will re-open the Minden ER. It’ll take some time to get things revamped, but this is not the time to be cutting back on healthcare support.”
Doyle and her NDP comrades are adamantly opposed to the privatization of healthcare; a notion that the Conservative government has alluded to on occasion. “I have always considered myself a builder,” she said. “And right now, we have a government that tears down, and is making shifts to private.”
The NDP has been active in the fight to re-open the Minden ER, with multiple visits and promises from Chris Glover, the MPP for Spadina Fort York, and Marit Stiles, the Ontario NDP leader.
On top of healthcare, Doyle is passionate about tourism, arts, and culture in small towns. “For every dollar spent on arts and culture, it has been proven that it brings in an average of $11.70 into local businesses.”
Doyle noted that in a time of singularity and online consumption, having public spaces reduces isolation and encourages community connection. “Tourism is a huge economic driver,” she said. “And small business owners are the lifeblood of our areas. I would like to see a lot more support for small business owners.”
The NDP is acutely aware of large retailers increasing their costs at the expense of Ontarians. If elected, Doyle shared that they will be introducing a monthly grocery supplement as a direct deposit, based on income and family size. This will be paired with developing a strategy to combat price gouging by corporate retailers. “I really like this approach,” she said, “help now and then a plan to deal with the root problem of ever increasing grocery prices.”
When asked about her predictions for the poll results, she noted that the snap election being called over the winter months can be challenging for rural communities. “The aspect of a winter campaign in rural areas will result in a lot of voter suppression.”
Doyle believes that the reasoning behind the quick election is opportunistic for the Conservative Party, who are currently sitting with a majority government. “This election was simply the Conservatives attempt to secure power,” she said. “There was absolutely no need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this.”
In light of this, Doyle strongly encourages everyone to get out to the polls on Feb. 27. “I think there will be a very low voter turnout, because people are thinking that their vote doesn’t matter,” she said. “But if you want to vote for any party that you truly believe in, then you should vote.”
Doyle believes that in this current political climate, the NDP has their “best chance” of coming out on top. But she needs people to show up to make it happen.
“People really need to get out to the polls,” she said, “and make themselves heard.”
