Vote it up! 6 votes DigitalJournal.com File Photo (All Rights Reserved)

Nearly a decade ago the Conservative government at that time stopped the coverage for those who were undergoing the procedure.

Between 1997-1998 OHIP paid $122,000 for eight sex changes. Those eight were the last ones in the province to not have to foot the bill of a sex change operation. Once the details have been ironed out, four people who have been approved for surgery will get the go ahead.

The demand isn't that large; only eight to ten people qualify for the surgery each year. It is likely the province will pay about $200,000 a year for those needing gender reassignment surgery.

"It is the government's intention to move forward with the provision of services on about the same level as they were (when) cancelled some number of years ago," Smitherman said, noting the details of the leaked announcement have yet to be finalized.

To undergo the surgery an individual must complete a rigorous psychological evaluation at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

The previous government's refusal to pay for such operations has been deemed discriminatory and McGinty's government was compelled to put things rightly back into place.

A population which has needs that are quite difficult to understand were subjected to a lot of politics," Smitherman said. "I think we should be careful not to use what is $200,000 dollars on a $40.2 billion budget as an excuse to try and create a them-and-us conversation," he added noting the government also funds other people with specialized needs.

The procedure will likely take place in Montreal where most sexual reassignment surgery is currently performed. The current cost for a sex-change operation at the Centre Metropolitain de Chirurgie Plastique is $17,000.

"It probably makes sense from a clinical outcome standpoint that those be done in a place that is most specialized in the country," Smitherman said. "That is the way it had been in the prior circumstances."

Ontario will join the ranks of Alberta, B.C., Manitoba and Saskatchewan covering this surgery. With medical documentation Newfoundland and Labrador also will cover costs. Quebec will not be funding patients for this particular surgery. While the surgery is covered for many in Canada, travel expenses and post surgical accommodations are not.

Activists are happy that the province will finally be keeping its promise made years ago.

"This will save lives," DiNovo said. "It's the end of a long journey and it's a joyous day."