Today is Tommy Douglas Day!
Every year, October 20 is a day for us to celebrate the contributions of Thomas “Tommy” Clement Douglas: the "Greatest Canadian" and the man who brought universal public Medicare to Canada. It is a day to recommit ourselves to the vital work of protecting and strengthening our public health care system.
It also happens to be my 40th birthday.
And what I really want this year, my birthday wish, is that you take a moment to join us in the fight to save our public health care system by becoming a member of Friends of Medicare, or renewing your membership for 2024.
40 years ago today, I was born in rural Saskatchewan, where universal public health care was the norm thanks to the work of Tommy Douglas and the activists who tirelessly fought for Medicare. I am the first generation in my family to have lived their whole life under universal Medicare, but I’m worried about whether future generations will be able to say the same.
Because our health care system is struggling right now under a series of crises, rooted in wide-spread short staffing. And it is under attack by a hostile provincial government with an aggressive agenda of privatization.
Which is why we need your support more than ever before. We have been touring the province, hearing from Albertans in their communities, and rebuilding our local chapters. We are doing the work to ensure Friends of Medicare can reach as many Albertans as possible, and continue to be a powerful collective voice for change. But we can’t do it without you!
And as you know, at Friends of Medicare we don’t just fight to keep what we have; we continue to work to achieve Tommy’s dream of a truly universal public health care system, which means finally including important things like dental care, Pharmacare, and other necessary health care under the Medicare umbrella.
I'm excited to say that Pharmacare is within reach, closer than ever before! After more than 50 years of fighting for a universal public prescription drug plan, it's up to us to get it across the finish line. Please take a moment to write to your Member of Parliament in support of universal Pharmacare.
Albertans want stronger public health care. A plan to strengthen our struggling public health care system is ready to go — We just need to do the organizing work to get us there.
Together, I know we can achieve this.
This Tommy Douglas Day, I ask you to make my birthday wish come true by contributing to our work or securing your 2024 Friends of Medicare membership today.
In Solidarity,
Chris Gallaway
Executive Director
Friends of Medicare