TORONTO, ON, November 3, 2025 –More than 1,000 nurses, health-care professionals and leaders are gathering in Toronto from November 4 to 6 for the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) Biennial Convention, under the theme I am ONA. Over the course of this week, they will debate, vote and conduct official business, and reflect on the dramatic changes the last two years have brought for their union and health-care system.
ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN, says the past two years have seen both significant wins and setbacks that “have created a bolder, more organized movement of nurses and health-care professionals with a deep, unshakeable resolve to fight for their coworkers, their professions and the public health care that makes us who we are.
“I am ONA,” she says, “and so is every member of this union. As ONA members, as Ontarians, we take care of one another and we don’t back down from threats, whether they come from south of the border, or from within, courtesy of the Ford government’s determination to gut, lay off workers and privatize public health care.”
Highlights of the three-day Convention include a formal address by Ariss (livestreamed on Facebook), inspiring guest speakers, the launch of a campaign on workplace violence and a public vigil to be held at Nathan Phillips Square to commemorate the lives of those impacted by various forms of violence. Delegates will also hear regional updates and participate in business sessions.
Looking ahead, Ariss notes that ONA members have been clear they are no longer willing to tolerate unconstitutional limits on their collective bargaining rights and are prepared and more organized than ever as they take aim at governments and employers looking to defund public health care, lay off registered nurses, and perpetuate unequal wages and unsafe, often violent work.
“This week is more than a meeting, is the beginning of our renewed fight – for each other and the people of Ontario,” says Ariss.
ONA is the union representing over 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care, public health, the community, clinics, and industry.
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