Forum aims to help Anglos living off-island access health care services in English

A forum taking place tonight in Pincourt aims to inform the anglophone population west of Montreal about how to access English health care services off-island.

The forum, called "Personalize Your Future," will also provide information on a new regional hospital coming to the area.

"We have a hospital coming, so we're in preparation mode for all the various elements of service delivery that will be coming with that hospital," Frederick Agnew told CBC's Daybreak.

He is a coordinator for the Réseau Emploi Entrepreneurship, a Health Canada program that helps improve access to English language health and social services.

Agnew, who sits on the planning board for the new hospital, said that technically, the home hospital for residents of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region is the Hôpital du Suroît in Valleyfield.

But according to Agnew, there's no guarantee they will be served in English there.

He said anglophones in the region tend to go to the Lakeshore General Hospital in Pointe-Claire, or even the McGill University Health Centre.

Some people, he said, go as far as Ontario to access health care in English.

Different healthcare workers to present

The forum will assemble a group of health care experts, representatives from community organizations around Vaudreuil-Soulanges, including Parkinson's Canada and Alzheimer's Canada, notaries, accountants, and people from respite care programs.

"There's always the surprise when we have English events," Agnew said, adding that there are services for English-speakers in the region.

"We're working hard to make sure that everybody is aware of that."

The forum will be held at St. Patrick of the Island Church Hall, at 278 Shamrock Drive in Pincourt.

There are two sessions — one from 2 to 4 p.m., and another from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

All sessions will be held in English and attendance is free. Ample parking is available on-site and the hall is wheelchair accessible.