Fort Erie gains one doctor as Niagara continues recruitment efforts
March 25, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Fort Erie had one more family doctor to begin 2025 than it did a year before, according to statistics provided by Niagara Region about ongoing efforts to recruit physicians across the peninsula.
Of all 12 lower-tier municipalities in Niagara, Fort Erie is one of five that saw an increase over the last calendar year when comparing the number of family doctors serving communities.
In January 2024, Fort Erie had 12 family physicians, but 13 in January of this year.
There were 24,349 enrolled patients last January, and 24,248 when the same count was taken this February, says a news release from the Region late last week.
Bigger cities in Niagara were able to draw the most new physicians, such as St. Catharines recruiting eight and Welland attracting six.
Niagara Falls increased by two physicians.
The Region has made “significant progress in addressing the physician shortage over the past year,” with the net addition of 16 family physicians since January 2024, resulting in a net increase of 15,527 patients receiving access to primary care, says the recent news release.
Last November, the Region hosted a community roundtable that brought together 35 community leaders and experts, who explored new ways Niagara can work as a team to bring even more family physicians to the area.
Results were shared with regional council last week.
The town started its program to attract doctors about 20 years ago, Mayor Wayne Redekop told Fort Erie Radio in an interview late last year. He estimated about a dozen have been drawn to Fort Erie during that time.
The Town of Fort Erie offers an incentive of $75,000 for a full-time family physician with a five-year return of service agreement.
Asked last year about cities like Welland offering a $100,000 incentive and how this impacts Fort Erie’s efforts, Redekop said towns and cities competing with one another is a province-wide issue, not something exclusive to Niagara, and that there are “a lot of opportunities for them wherever they want to go.”
Redekop also said there are thousands of Fort Erie residents who don’t have a family physician.
Alice Preston, the town’s community healthcare co-ordinator, said last fall that statistics calculated by the provincial government indicate that Fort Erie is short by five or six family doctors. She also said five had been recruited in the last five years.
Across the region, there are 274 physicians in Niagara, which is 106 short of the 380 there should be, according to a presentation made to local councils last year by Jill Croteau, Niagara Region Public Health’s physician recruitment and retention specialist.
Residents who are looking for a family doctor are encouraged to visit Niagara Region’s website for available resources and support in connecting with a physician.
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About The Author
Kris Dubé
Kris is a veteran journalist who has worked in Niagara for close to 20 years. He is also a lifelong resident of Fort Erie, a place he plans to call home and raise his family for many more years.
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