North Bay’s hospital confirmed Monday that it’s projecting a $14 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year, despite making staffing cuts last year to save money. In an email to CTV News on Sept. 21, hospital spokeswoman Lindsay Smylie Smith said the North Bay Regional Health Centre will run a $14-million deficit for the 2026/27 fiscal year. “(The hospital) has a long history of being a fiscally responsible hospital and we are currently exploring opportunities to improve our financial position while minimizing disruption to our labour force and the patients we serve,” Smylie Smith said. Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli announced in July a total of $3.7 million for North Bay’s hospital operations. In December 2025, Fedeli delivered $15 million in funding for the 2025-26 year to support hospital operations and alternate level of care beds. In the summer, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents about 1,100 hospital staff, reported that operational pressures were driving the original projected shortfall of somewhere between $7.5 million and $8.2 million. CUPE Local 139 President Mike Turgeon wrote in an email Monday that the union finds it “shocking and unconscionable” that the hospital is considering additional job cuts due to what he called the provincial government’s “refusal to provide the funding required to meet the needs of our ageing community.” Provides specialized services “(The hospital) also has unique needs as a regional hospital that provides specialized mental health services in addition to acute care,” Turgeon said. In Fall 2025, CUPE protested dozens of job cuts announced at the hospital in order to save $5.6 million. The hospital said actual layoffs were much lower than 40 when retirement and attrition were factored in, as well as the fact that 14 new positions are being created. “From the perspective of frontline staff, made up of nurses, PSWs, rehabilitation assistants, pharmacy technicians, and many other patient-facing positions, who are stretched to their limits, there is absolutely no room for cuts,” Turgeon wrote. “These staff are burning out -- last year our access to mental health benefits increased by 81 per cent and our sick time rose substantially, as well.” The hospital said it is hopeful that it will be able to balance the budget this fiscal year. “We are grateful for the support of our MPP, the provincial government and Ontario Health and we will continue to work with them to strengthen our health care system to ensure we can provide high-quality care to our communities,” Smylie Smith said. CTV News contacted the Ministry of Health for comment, but a response was not provided before our deadline. “If we truly care about the staff and our patients who rely on them, we need a significant funding boost to ensure appropriate staff-to-patient ratios in accordance with the latest evidence,” Turgeon added. Just last week, the hospital announced it was closing its Chronic Disease Management Clinic due to a shortage of physicians.
