Primary care is the foundation of any high-performing healthcare system. We report a subset of findings that characterize the existing primary care system in southwestern Ontario, Canada, and describe the experiences of primary healthcare providers (PHCPs). Between December 2015 and January 2016, in collaboration with the South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), we conducted a mixed-methods research study to gain a better understanding of experiences in providing primary care to support systems planning for primary care. We believe our approach allowed for integrity across both the research and planning process.