Angry Cape Bretoners took to the streets of Sydney, N.S., to protest a pair of controversial decisions from the provincial government.
Protesters had initially planned the Wednesday afternoon rally against Nova Scotia government鈥檚 use of federal equalization payments.
Then, on Monday, Premier Stephen McNeil announced the closure of two hospitals in Cape Breton, giving them another reason to protest.
"It's affecting everyone in the whole area,鈥� Brad Nicholson, who attended the rally, told CTV Atlantic. 鈥淐ape Bretoners (have) got to stand up for the stuff that we really, really need."
Under the provincial government's plan, the Northside General Hospital in North Sydney, N.S., and New Waterford Consolidated Hospital in New Waterford, N.S. will close and be replaced with two community health centres and long-term care facilities. The Cape Breton Regional Hospital and Glace Bay Hospital will be expanded.
McNeil defended the decision Wednesday, saying that the 鈥渟tatus quo was not acceptable.鈥�
鈥淲hen you have two emergency rooms, one closed for 6,000 hours and the other closed for 4,000 hours, and you can't staff them, they know that we have to do something,鈥� he said.
McNeil said his government鈥檚 plan is designed to improve facilities on the island and at the same time attract more doctors to the region, a problem Cape Breton has dealt with for years.
Dr. Craig Stone, an anesthesiologist at Cape Breton Regional Hospital, says he wants to know whether it will mean a reduction in services. 鈥淣obody knows the answer,鈥� he said.
Janet Hazelton, president of the Nova Scotia Nurses鈥� Union, says she was 鈥渟urprised and a bit shocked鈥� by the news.
While she鈥檚 still waiting to learn more, Hazelton says she鈥檚 hoping that the government will not cut nursing jobs.
鈥淎lthough their jobs may change, their location may change, we expect this government and the health authority to honour what they told us, and that鈥檚 there would be no job losses for nurses in this.鈥�
With a report from CTV Atlantic鈥檚 Ryan MacDonald
