Seeley’s Bay has secured a new family physician following a five-year search, marking a significant win for Ontario’s Rural Economic Development Through Immigration pilot. The program targets skilled worker shortages in four rural and northern communities, including Leeds and Grenville.
Dr. Debbie Briggs recently retired after nearly three decades as the community's primary care backbone. She delayed her departure for five years while officials sought a replacement. Briggs helped establish local healthcare access in the mid-1990s when the clinic operated with just two physicians.
The provincial initiative facilitated the recruitment of Dr. Tauqeer Tariq from the United Kingdom. The program supports international healthcare providers with licensing and permanent residency pathways to fill critical gaps in rural Ontario.
Leeds and Grenville MPP Steve Clark hailed the pilot as a major success, though he advocated for making the temporary measure permanent. Dr. Tariq acknowledged the challenge of succeeding such an established figure but committed to continuing the community's legacy of care.
This placement resolves a long-standing vacancy that threatened primary care access in the region. The pilot demonstrates a viable model for sustaining rural healthcare infrastructure through targeted international recruitment.