Donald Trump stirred up some controversy in Canada for remarks he made about our healthcare system noting the long wait times that can result in catastrophic consequences for those with serious illnesses, but is he right?

According to several reports completed by the Fraser Institute, he is.

The Institute claims over 52,000 Canadians sought medical treatment abroad in 2014, up from 25% the previous year. Average wait times from general practitioner to treatment are 18.3 weeks and that’s just for ten specialties with orthopaedic surgery having the longest average wait times of 35.7 weeks.

In Alberta, we have the largest healthcare system in Canada with an average wait time of 21.1 weeks.

The worst consequences that come along with wait times like we have in Canada is they can result in chronic conditions becoming irreversible.

Another misconception about the Canadian healthcare system is that it’s free. In yet another report released by the Fraser Institute, it shows the average family spends $12,000 on healthcare insurance yearly.

That’s because Canadians spend thousands of tax dollars yearly for a system that’s rife with issues, including long wait times, lack of technology and advanced services.

For these reasons, tens of thousands of Canadians flock to the US seeking treatment.

What Donald Trump said is true and those criticizing him likely haven’t had to spend time getting treated for a serious illness in our system. And I hope they never have to.