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9| O akville B eaver | T hursday,O ctober 18,2018 insidehalton.com One of the most pressing is- sues facing our province is the state of our health-care system. We have seen wait times for pro- cedures increase as hospitals have reached capacity, and the number of hospital beds has not kept up with the population growth of the province. Earlier this month, the On- tario government announced it will be increasing the number of hospital beds in the province by 1,100, and increasing the number of long-term care beds in the province by 6,000. The increase of hospital and long-term care beds will help ease hospital gridlock in com- munities that need it most. With this action the prov- ince is delivering on its prom- ise to end hallway health care by taking urgent action to ex- pand access to long-term care, reduce the strain on the health-care system in advance of the upcoming flu season, and work with front line health care professionals and experts to improve the prov- ince's health-care system for all Ontarians. These 6,000 new long-term care beds represent the first wave of our government's com- mitment to build 15,000 new long-term care beds over the next five years. As a part of this plan, the province will also de- liver over 640 new beds across the province to help communi- ties like Oakville prepare for the surge of the upcoming flu season. Taken together, these actions will ease pressure on hospitals, help doctors and nurses work more efficiently and provide better, faster health care for patients and their families. For Oakville, this means that there will be better access to care and health services for everyone. For those of us who are forced to visit the hospital frequently, this measure will mean that you will be able to spend less time in the waiting room, and more time back home with your family. Our government is commit- ted to improving the quality of life for people in Oakville and Ontario. This is a first step to- ward fulfilling that goal. For assistance with provin- cial matters, please contact my office at stephen.crawford- co@pc.ola.org. Stephen Crawford is the member of provincial parlia- ment for Oakville. EXPANDING ACCESS TO HOSPITAL AND LONG-TERM CARE BEDS OPINION INCREASE OF BEDS WILL HELP EASE HOSPITAL GRIDLOCK IN COMMUNITIES THAT NEED IT MOST, WRITES CRAWFORD STEPHEN CRAWFORD Column When pulling into their driveway after spending the day out and about around town, the Tassone family found a little snapping turtle had ventured away from its natural environment, believed to be the pond in the area of Postmaster Drive. "Luckily we were able to relocate it back to safety," say the Tassones. But not before taking this photo, featuring from left, Evan and Grace Tassone, Emma Del Vecchio and Celeste Tassone. Do you have an animal photo taken in Oakville? Send your Animal Tales submission to cohara@metroland.com for consideration. Please include a short description and the photographer's name for publication. Tassone family photo ANIMAL TALES