‘We shouldn’t have to go’: N.S. woman gets mammogram in Toronto amid Halifax wait times

Some Canadian women are looking outside their provinces for mammogram testing.

Lori Savoury is finally able to enjoy her days with a clear mind, after an anxiety-filled journey.

In October 2025, she was given a referral to get a mammogram after she noticed a lump in her left breast.

“But the appointment for the diagnostic mammogram wasn’t until late January of 2026. So, I was going to have to wait from early October 2025 until late January 2026, before I even knew if there was a problem. That was very stressful,” says Savoury.

She initially planned to wait until January for the appointment but couldn’t shake the anxiety of not knowing.

That’s when she went on Facebook and saw people travelling outside the province for a mammogram.

“My husband and I happened to be traveling to Toronto in November, and I found out about a clinic in Toronto that did diagnostic mammograms…and I called them and they happened to have an appointment available while I was there,” says Savoury.

“Within two hours, I had a regular mammogram, an ultrasound and a 3D mammogram done. It cost me about $410 to have all of those things done.”

She received her results within 24 hours of her appointment.

“I found out that there was nothing there. No problem. No need to worry, no need to be concerned. No cancer. That’s the biggest news you can possibly ask for,” she says.

While she had reservations about getting a mammogram done at a private clinic, she says it was a small price to pay for her peace of mind.

“I needed to save myself months of stress. I’ve had friends and family members who’ve had breast cancer, some of whom passed away, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to take that stress for that long.”

It’s a reality more Nova Scotians are facing, as wait times for screening mammograms are well over a year in the Halifax area.

“Mammograms are basic. You can self-refer, it’s routine, there’s recommended guidelines, and it takes over a year to get an appointment? It’s just inexcusable,” says Claudia Chender, N.S. NDP leader.

“This is why we are calling for a women’s health strategy, because it’s really clear that this government is not prioritizing women’s health in their push to fix health care.”

Nova Scotia’s health minister wasn’t available for an interview, but told CTV News in a statement “the workforce shortage is the most significant factor impacting wait times.”

“The fact remains that where we see those workforce challenges, tend to be over and over again, in the areas that disproportionately impact women and gender diverse people. We have the second longest waits in the country. And so, whatever the reason is, whether it’s workforce, whether it’s diagnostics, whether it’s machinery and infrastructure, it needs to be addressed,” says Chender.

The Canadian Cancer Society says its time to look at creative solutions.

“For example, creating a school for medical radiology at Dalhousie University,” says Heather Mulligan with the society.

“Rather than all of us competing, across the U.S. and Canada, is there a way of us working together collaboratively so that more care can be delivered right here in Atlantic Canada and closer to home?”

After getting her results, Savoury decided to give up her January mammogram appointment to the next person.

A hope it would save them a trip outside of the province and hopefully offer some quicker results.

“It should be available to everybody. We shouldn’t have to go that route… I appreciate the burdens and the resources needed to have that available for everybody, but women’s health needs to be prioritized,” she says.

“I had two months to jump on it… and we know that makes a difference when it comes to things like breast cancer. Hopefully by me taking that step, somebody else then who couldn’t take that step had an opportunity to get there sooner."

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