Doctor took $100K loan to work in northern Manitoba town, left before contract was up: court documents
CBC
A family doctor recruited to work for a decade in a northern Manitoba community left after just 16 months and is now refusing and/or neglecting to repay a $100,000 interest-free loan, according to documents filed in court.
Dr. Andrea Wilson signed a loan agreement with The Pas Community Development Corporation (CDC) on Apr. 1, 2019 after finishing her family medicine residency program at the University of Manitoba, according to a lawsuit filed against her by the CDC.
She agreed to work at least 880 clinical hours during each of ten years of full-time medical services in The Pas between 2020 and 2030. Wilson entered into a contract with the Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) on July 1, 2020, the documents say.
Wilson agreed to repay the loan if she terminated the agreement, if it was cancelled for cause, or if she was dismissed for cause before the expiry of the agreement.
A social media notice posted on June 29, 2020, by the NRHA welcomed her to the community with a population of 5,639, located about 625 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.
"The Northern Health Region is pleased to announce the arrival of Dr. Andrea Wilson as the new physician to the Fischer Avenue Clinic," it said.
However, the court documents say Wilson left The Pas on Nov. 7, 2021, and moved to Vancouver, breaching the agreement.
She was hired by Mint Integrative Health, which posted a notice on Nov. 23, 2021, heralding her arrival. "She's what you always hoped family medicine could be and should be," the notice read.
Wilson has since left Mint and is working at another clinic in Vancouver.
On Nov. 22, 2022, Wilson was advised she had breached the agreement with the NRHA and it was being cancelled with cause. The Pas Community Development Corporation demanded repayment of the loan by Dec. 31, 2022.
"The defendant has refused and/or neglected and continues to refuse and/or neglect to pay the loan," court documents say.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Wilson did her undergrad science and psychology degree at the University of Calgary from 2001-2006. She did a master of Public Health at the University of British Columbia from 2009-2011 and her Doctor of Medicine at the University of Calgary from 2013 to 2016. She worked as an epidemiologist for Health Canada in Edmonton from 2012 to 2014.
Wilson did her family medicine residency at the University of Manitoba and got her licence to practice in December 2019.
Wilson could not be reached for comment. Staff at her current clinic in Vancouver said she is away for several weeks. Wilson has until early December to file a statement of defence in court.
After walking a few laps around the shop, Maria Castagna picks up a glass ornament in the form of a pink, sparkly ice cream cone and smiles widely.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham says he has much unfinished work from his first term in office, as he prepares to make his pitch to voters ahead of the 2026 election.
Moving to Canada from Singapore meant losing close social connections for Iris Akbar, but Akbar says the gift was in finding an affirming space with friends that became like family.
Women and children staying at Regina Transition House now have access to Santa’s workshop — a safe space where mothers can choose Christmas gifts for their children.
A man from Powell River, B.C., is thankful to be alive after a stranger helped him while he was choking at a restaurant during a visit to Whistler.
When it comes to Hamilton readers' favourite library books of 2025, romance and mysteries are in close competition.
From the Detroit Lions losing to Apple iPhones that spontaneously update, Windsorites had things that bugged them this year.
Calgary emergency rooms are “in a state of critical overcapacity” ahead of the anticipated peak of flu season — and to cope with the surge and wait-room crowding, officials are urging doctors to speed up their decisions on whether to admit patients, according to a memo obtained by CBC News.
Northern Ontario's highway system needs improvements in order to make travel safer, a highway safety advocate said.
Hundreds of thousands of used tires are piling up across Ontario as some companies responsible for tire recycling have stopped processing tires amid reduced provincial recycling regulations for tire producers, industry experts say.
People in Guelph facing homelessness will soon have a new place to go during the day.
Islanders are reminded to plan their rides ahead of holiday festivities if they plan on drinking alcohol or using cannabis.
Even before Gwen Healey Akearok began her new role as Nunavut’s Minister of Family Services, she was tuning into the Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) hearings on the state of the Family Services department.