A significant provincial investment is set to transform the landscape of fertility care in Windsor-Essex, effectively eliminating a years-long waitlist for publicly funded treatments that has forced many local families to endure heartbreaking delays.
Substantial Funding Injection
The Ontario government announced it will provide nearly $1.6 million in annual funding to Victory Reproductive Care, Windsor's sole in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic. This new financial support, revealed on Monday, November 10, 2025, by Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie and Essex MPP Anthony Leardi, builds upon approximately $1.5 million in annual funding the province allocated to the clinic in 2022.
Combined, the roughly $3 million in annual funding will enable the treatment of approximately 300 patients each year, according to Dr. Rahi Victory, the clinic's medical director.
Transforming Patient Access
This funding breakthrough means the current local wait time for publicly funded treatment—which stretches up to two years with about 180 people on the list—will be dramatically reduced.
"This will mean much more rapid access to the care they need," said Dr. Victory. "They won't have to wait on the waitlist for a year or two. We'll be able to get through the waitlist faster. This will cut it down to virtually nothing."
The new funding, delivered through the Ontario Fertility Program (OFP), will cover approximately 163 IVF cycles for local families. It represents part of a broader $250-million expansion of the OFP across Ontario, with $50 million designated to fund 5,000 IVF cycles at 25 new or expanded clinics in 2025/26.
Life-Changing Impact for Families
Before local funding became available, Windsor-Essex residents facing infertility had limited and often difficult options:
- Pay out-of-pocket for treatments costing up to $20,000
- Remain on lengthy waitlists while biological clocks ticked
- Travel outside the region for care
- Abandon hopes of having biological children
"Every family deserves the chance to grow, and this investment shows our government's commitment to making that dream a reality for more people in our community," said MPP Dowie. "By expanding access to fertility services close to home, we are easing the stress and reducing wait times for families who rely on this important support."
The remaining $200 million of the provincial fertility program expansion will be allocated to approved clinics for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 fiscal years, ensuring continued support for Ontario families building their futures.
