Ontario Connecting More People to Faster Emergency Care

$11,864,126 investment increasing access to high-quality emergency care in Cornwall

CORNWALL — The Ontario government is investing $11,864,126 in the Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services to connect more people to emergency care faster and increase the availability of paramedics and ambulances in the community.

“Every day, Cornwall’s paramedics provide life-saving care when we need it most,” said Nolan Quinn, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. “This investment from our government will ensure that Cornwall’s dedicated paramedics can continue delivering timely care across SDG when every second counts.”

In Cornwall, Ontario is increasing land ambulance funding by 13 percent, bringing the province’s total investment in the region to $11,864,126 this year. This increase in base funding helps ensure municipalities address increased costs so they can continue to deliver high-quality emergency care. This investment is part of the more than $1 billion in land ambulance funding Ontario is providing municipalities across the province this year, representing an average increase of 9 per cent from 2025.

“Our government is making record investments to protect Ontario’s health-care system and connect people to the care they need, where and when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “With provincial ambulance offload times declining by nearly 70% since 2022, this shows that our plan is working.”

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to protect the province’s health-care system and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care closer to home for generations to come.

QUICK FACTS

  • Currently over 300 patient care models led by paramedic services across the province are now approved to provide appropriate and timely care options for eligible 9-1-1 patients in the community, instead of in the emergency department.
  • To help increase the number of paramedics in the province, the expanded Ontario Learn and Stay Grant provides students studying in the first year of a paramedic program at select post-secondary institutions with funding for free tuition, books, compulsory fees and other direct educational costs. After graduating, students will be required to work in the same region they studied in, for a minimum of six months for every full year of study funded by the grant.
  • The Ontario government has helped more students who want to become a paramedic in
    Ontario by adding more than 300 student spaces in paramedic programs at provincial
    colleges across Ontario.

QUOTES

“On behalf of SDG Counties Council, I want to thank the Province of Ontario for this significant
investment in the Cornwall-SDG Counties Paramedic Services. This increased funding will help
ensure our paramedics have the resources they need to continue delivering timely, high-quality
emergency medical care across our communities. As demand for paramedic services continues
to grow, investments like this help support frontline staff, maintain service levels, and strengthen
our ability to respond when residents need us most. We appreciate the province’s ongoing
commitment to rural and urban municipalities alike, and to protecting the health and well-being
of the people we serve.” – François Landry, Warden of the United Counties of SDG

“On behalf of the City of Cornwall, I want to thank the province for its continued support and
funding through the Land Ambulance Service Grant. This increased investment helps to ensure
that our Paramedic Services are able to continue to provide quick responses to life saving calls
across our region.” – Justin Towndale, Mayor of Cornwall

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES