‘Unacceptable’: Stewart, B.C. Left Without Ambulance Service, Mayor Demands Action

The mayor of Stewart, B.C., a remote town of roughly 500 people near the Alaska border, is raising alarms after learning the community has no ambulance coverage — and no clear date for its return.

Mayor Angela Brand Danuser said she was informed of the service disruption through informal channels on Monday and has since struggled to get clear answers.

“Everyone in town is in the dark,” she said. “We don’t know when we have coverage and when we don’t — and that’s just not acceptable.”

According to Brand Danuser, both of Stewart’s paramedics are currently unavailable, and no replacements have been assigned. In the event of an emergency, the nearest ambulance would be dispatched from Hazelton, roughly three hours away.

The District of Stewart issued a public advisory stating that the disruption could last for an “undetermined period of time.” Brand Danuser said she’s heard July 15 may be the earliest date for service to resume, but that’s far from confirmed.

“We have seniors, tourists, and industrial workers here. This isn’t just inconvenient — it’s dangerous,” she said.

She cited "near misses," including one incident where a local waited so long for emergency help that they had to transport someone to the health centre themselves.

While Stewart’s health facility is well-equipped, the mayor emphasized that it's meaningless without safe transport.

Neither the local fire department nor the RCMP are trained or insured to operate ambulances, leaving residents with limited options in emergencies.

Meanwhile, the paramedics’ union says the staffing model in rural B.C. is unsustainable.

“You can't rely on two people to cover 24/7 ambulance service. It leads to burnout and service gaps,” said Ian Tait, spokesperson for the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C.

Tait pointed to the “pager pay” system — where on-call paramedics are paid to carry a pager — as a barrier to recruitment and retention. He advocates for full-time positions in rural communities to improve reliability.

In a statement, B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) acknowledged the mayor’s concerns and said it is using the Travelling Paramedic Program to try to fill the gaps. Some shifts have been filled, but many remain open.

Brand Danuser, however, says that response raises more questions than it answers.

“They’re not telling us anything new. We need specifics. When will we have full ambulance coverage again?”

Until then, she’s urging residents to stay alert and have a personal emergency plan in place — just in case help doesn’t arrive.