Activists remember the battle to save Ottawa's Montfort Hospital, 20 years later

Francophonesare commemorating a campaign they launched 20years ago this week to save Ottawa's Montfort Hospital,the only French language hospital in Ontario at the time.

It took five years of rallies,lobbying, and court battles, but they eventuallyconvinced the Ontario government to keep the hospital open.

On Monday, many of those activists gathered at Samuel-Genesthigh school in Ottawa's east end for a panel discussion to remember the battle they began in 1997.

Dr.JohnJoanissewas Montfort's chief of staff in early 1997, when the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harrisannounced it would accept a recommendation from its health services restructuring commissionto close the hospital.

"We felt insulted. How could they do this to us, to Franco-Ontarians? This was our hospital," said Joanisse.

SOS Montfort

Thefrancophonecommunity quickly mobilized, launching a grassroots campaign called SOS Montfort, led by the former mayor of Vanier, Gisle Lalonde.

The Ottawa French language daily newspaperLe Droitalso jumped into the debate, firmly placing its support behind SOS Montfort. Pierre Bergeron was the paper's president in 1997.

"There was a new threat facing one of our fundamental institutions and threatening our collective good," said Bergeronduring Monday's gathering. "For LeDroit, it was a matter of connecting to our identity."

SOS Montfort'seffortsalso included 2,000 students forming ahuman chain around the Montfort, and a pep rally of 10,000 supporters at the then-Civic Centre at LansdownePark.

In the end, Ontariocourts put a wrench in the provincial government's plan after the hospital and its supporters launched a legal battle to keep the hospital open.

After losing in divisional court, then again on appeal, the provinceannounced in February 2002 that it would not appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mixed feelings 20 years later

Lalondesaid the reunion of Montfort supporters generated mixed feelings.

"I'm very glad we won. But it brought back memories of the battle with that anglophone government, which understood absolutely nothing and didn't want to hearanything from us," said Lalonde.

However, time seems to have repairedLalonde's riftwith Mike Harris and his government. "I received a very nice, friendly letter from the premier [Mike Harris], and I excused everyone who worked against the Montfort," she said.

Now 83, Lalonde said many people she meets on the streets of Vanierstill kindly refer to her as "Madame Montfort."

In honour of the fight launched 20 years ago this week, students from Samuel-Genestmarched Monday from their school to theMontfort,all while proudly displayingthe green and whiteFranco-Ontarianflag.

A rally and concert is also set for Wednesday at TD Place, the site of the large rally in 1997 which helped launch SOS Montfort.

On Friday, the hospital is officially launching its Institutdu savoir Montfort(ISM), a facility it says will improve training for doctors, nurses and other health professionals in a francophone environment.