If Canada went to war, could our hospitals cope? A simulation in Toronto revealed alarming gaps

Guest: Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star columnist

In a high-stakes war games exercise held in Toronto, top military officials, health-care leaders, and government representatives gathered behind closed doors to game out a scenario few Canadians can ever imagine; war arriving on our doorstep.

The exercise, called Canada Paratus, was a joint initiative led by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, in collaboration with the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, St. Michael's Hospital, and other military-focused organizations.

This wasn't about battlefield tactics, but about what happens when Canada's fragile health-care system is pushed to the brink. From mass casualties to logistical chaos, the simulation revealed uncomfortable truths about just how unprepared we are and what it could mean if Canada were drawn into a global conflict where hospitals, not just troops, have to hold the line.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon