Ontario Health Minister Says Province Not Following Alberta in Restricting Child Transition

Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones makes an announcement at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital on Aug. 18, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young)

Ontario’s health minister says the province will not be following Alberta in banning transgender surgeries or hormone therapies for minors.

“We’re not making any changes as it relates to gender-affirming care in the province of Ontario,” Health Minister Sylvia Jones said on Feb. 1 in response to a reporter’s question about whether Ontario would follow Alberta’s lead.

“We are very focused on expanding access to services, expanding access to primary care in the province of Ontario, and that’s what we will be focusing on.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced on Jan. 31 that gender-altering surgeries would not be permitted for those aged 17 and under. She also said medications, like puberty blockers and hormone therapies would not be allowed for those 15 and under.

Those aged 16 and 17 can only begin the medication treatments if they have parental permission as well as physician and psychologist approval.

Legislation that would require Ontario’s health minister to create a “gender-affirming” health-care advisory committee was given its first reading in November 2022.

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“The Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee shall make recommendations to the Minister for improving access to and coverage for gender-affirming health care,” Bill 42 says.

Bill 42 is similar to a previously introduced bill—Bill 17—from 2021 that did not make it past the committee stage due to the federal election, according to the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA).

ARPA says the proposed law is problematic.

“Sex-change procedures have harmful short- and long-term effects, and many people regret them later in life,” a post on its website says. “Instead of trying to help a patient with their changeable understanding of gender, this bill advocates for helping patients access changes to their biological sex that are often irreversible.”

Ontario currently funds gender surgeries for patients who meet the criteria, which include being assessed by a medical professional and receiving a referral for the treatment. Those undergoing surgery must also have been on hormone medications for at least 12 months.

If Bill 42 passes, patients will be able to circumvent the referral process, ARPA says.

“The idea behind this would again be to allow patients to access ‘health care’ quicker,” says the association in its post.

“In other words, they would not be required to go through various referral processes to ensure that they understand what is involved in the process for sex-change procedures or that they are mentally competent to make that decision.”