Health care is 13 per cent of Canada’s economy, and must be central to nation-building

This is not a call for unchecked spending. It's a call to recognize health care for what it truly is: foundational economic infrastructure. If we are serious about building Canada’s future, health care can no longer sit in the background. It must be central to nation-building.

Health Minister Marjorie Michel, pictured Ot. 2, 2025, making an announcement about the Canadian dental care plan in Vanier, Ont. An estimated five million Canadians have enrolled in the program. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY JIMMY YANG

January 21, 2026

With Canada’s 2025-2026 flu season being more intense and widespread than typical, and with health-care resources being stretched to the max, the stunning increase in influenza cases across this country is now translating into significant workforce challenges—a stark rem...

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