Recent records reveal that pandemic ventilators purchased from a company owned by a former Liberal MP, which were never used, have been donated to Ukraine as war surplus. Thousands of Baylis Medical ventilators, acquired under a sole-sourced contract, remain warehoused despite efforts to divest them, according to Blacklock's Reporter.According to an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the Commons, the Government of Canada has deemed a portion of these ventilators surplus to program requirements and is moving forward with divestment in compliance with the Treasury Board Directive On The Management Of Material. To date, 206 units have been permanently transferred to provinces and territories, while 839 units have been donated internationally to countries including India, Nepal, Pakistan and Ukraine.Baylis Medical Technologies Incorporated, based in Montréal, was contracted in 2020 under a sole-sourced agreement worth $237.4 million for COVID-19 ventilators. The company was owned by former Liberal MP Frank Baylis from Pierrefonds-Dollard, Que. Baylis testified before the Commons ethics committee, stating that his company faced significant challenges and required financial assistance to manufacture ventilators. Subsequently, the company was sold to Boston Scientific Corporation for US$1.75 billion.According to the Inquiry, 368 Baylis ventilators are currently on loan to unspecified provinces and territories, in addition to 206 units already distributed to Canadian hospitals. The Department of Health has also signed a $3.7 million maintenance contract with the new owners of Baylis Medical to ensure ongoing upkeep of the ventilators.Conservative MP Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton Manning) raised questions regarding the whereabouts of each ventilator, particularly in light of the significant expenditures incurred by the Department of Public Works during the pandemic on ventilators that were ultimately unused.The ventilator contracts included allocations to other suppliers as well, such as Thornhill Medical, based in Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s riding and CAE Incorporated of Montréal. However, concerns were raised about the technical suitability of some devices, including those supplied by Thornhill Medical.Former Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion clarified in 2020 that he was unable to investigate the Baylis contract due to MP Baylis's departure from Parliament prior to the agreement's signing. Despite this, questions lingered about the procurement process and the suitability of the ventilators acquired under these contracts.
Recent records reveal that pandemic ventilators purchased from a company owned by a former Liberal MP, which were never used, have been donated to Ukraine as war surplus. Thousands of Baylis Medical ventilators, acquired under a sole-sourced contract, remain warehoused despite efforts to divest them, according to Blacklock's Reporter.According to an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the Commons, the Government of Canada has deemed a portion of these ventilators surplus to program requirements and is moving forward with divestment in compliance with the Treasury Board Directive On The Management Of Material. To date, 206 units have been permanently transferred to provinces and territories, while 839 units have been donated internationally to countries including India, Nepal, Pakistan and Ukraine.Baylis Medical Technologies Incorporated, based in Montréal, was contracted in 2020 under a sole-sourced agreement worth $237.4 million for COVID-19 ventilators. The company was owned by former Liberal MP Frank Baylis from Pierrefonds-Dollard, Que. Baylis testified before the Commons ethics committee, stating that his company faced significant challenges and required financial assistance to manufacture ventilators. Subsequently, the company was sold to Boston Scientific Corporation for US$1.75 billion.According to the Inquiry, 368 Baylis ventilators are currently on loan to unspecified provinces and territories, in addition to 206 units already distributed to Canadian hospitals. The Department of Health has also signed a $3.7 million maintenance contract with the new owners of Baylis Medical to ensure ongoing upkeep of the ventilators.Conservative MP Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton Manning) raised questions regarding the whereabouts of each ventilator, particularly in light of the significant expenditures incurred by the Department of Public Works during the pandemic on ventilators that were ultimately unused.The ventilator contracts included allocations to other suppliers as well, such as Thornhill Medical, based in Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s riding and CAE Incorporated of Montréal. However, concerns were raised about the technical suitability of some devices, including those supplied by Thornhill Medical.Former Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion clarified in 2020 that he was unable to investigate the Baylis contract due to MP Baylis's departure from Parliament prior to the agreement's signing. Despite this, questions lingered about the procurement process and the suitability of the ventilators acquired under these contracts.
