Former Prince Albert city councillor Dennis Ogrodnick has stepped up his campaign to restore free parking for cancer patients, bringing his message directly to the Saskatchewan Legislature this week.
Ogrodnick, who is undergoing treatment for kidney cancer, has been advocating on the issue since last year, when parking fees were introduced for patients receiving chemotherapy at the Victoria Hospital.
Ogrodnick said that when he began treatment in 2023, cancer patients in Prince Albert had access to free parking. He said the Saskatchewan Health Authority later removed the parking pass, which he believes adds financial and emotional strain for people already facing serious health challenges.
“For the first year, we had free parking. Then all of a sudden they decided cancer patients should now start paying for parking at the Vic hospital,” Ogrodnick said. “I said, this is wrong. I’m going to get this changed.”
He said the Saskatchewan Health Authority offered him a personal free parking pass on two occasions after he raised concerns. He refused both offers.
“I will not take a free pass unless every cancer patient receives one,” he said. “I’m not doing this for myself. I’m doing this for all cancer patients.”
Ogrodnick said the cost of parking adds up for people undergoing treatment, especially for those who are no longer working or who travel from outside the city.
“How can you nickel and dime people who are fighting for their lives?” he said.
He said he has been given different explanations for the parking change, including concerns about pass misuse, efforts to standardize parking rules across the province, and the cost of maintaining parking lots. He also said parking policies remain inconsistent, noting that several cancer treatment sites in Saskatchewan do not charge patients or visitors to park.
“There are communities in Saskatchewan where parking is still free for everyone. So why should people here have to pay when they are going through treatment?” he said.
Ogrodnick said he has emailed Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill multiple times requesting a meeting, and that the first public acknowledgment he received was when the Minister recognized him in the Legislature during Question Period on Monday.
In a media scrum earlier the same day, Cockrill said the Saskatchewan Health Authority has been in contact with Ogrodnick and has responded to his concerns. He said revenue from hospital parking contributes to both infrastructure maintenance and patient care.
“Over half of the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s parking revenue goes to maintaining parking lots, including snow clearing, resurfacing and paint,” Cockrill said. “The remainder goes back into patient care through the health authority’s operating budget.”
Cockrill also said parking practices differ across the province because the Saskatchewan Health Authority was formed by merging several former regional health authorities that each had different policies. He said the SHA is working toward a more consistent approach.
Ogrodnick disputes that explanation. He said parking revenue is directed to a contracted private operator and that the terms of that agreement have not been made public. He said that raises questions about how much money is used for maintenance and how much reaches patient care.
“If the money went to the hospital, it would not be as bad. But the money goes to a private company. The government will not release the contract, so how do we know where the money is really going?” he said.
Ogrodnick said he intends to continue speaking out.
“I am going to die from this disease,” he said. “Until that happens, I will keep advocating so that the people who come after me do not have to go through this.”
