The City of Lethbridge and the local firefighters union remain at a standstill over the future of ambulance services as rising costs continue to strain the budget. With the current contract set to expire on September 30, 2026, the city is facing pressure to align local wages with provincial standards to avoid a shift toward a new provincial procurement process.
The City of Lethbridge has been pushing to bring firefighter-paramedic wages closer to provincial benchmarks, noting that current rates for first-class staff are significantly higher than those paid to provincial paramedics. According to Mayor Blaine Hyggen, the city proposed wage adjustments to bridge this gap, but the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 237 union rejected the offer. In response, union president Brent Nunweiler stated that the union submitted a counter-offer on May 15, 2026, and is currently waiting for the city to provide a response.
The dispute is driven by a new provincial funding model that requires municipalities to cover any costs exceeding established provincial benchmarks. The city estimates that adhering to these conditions would lead to an additional $3.7 million in local costs for 2027, representing a 1.8 per cent tax increase for residents. Costs are projected to climb to $4.2 million in 2028 and $4.6 million by 2029. On May 12, 2026, city council voted 7-2 to uphold a previous decision to reject the provincial contract conditions.
Lethbridge has maintained its integrated fire and emergency medical services for 114 years, making it the oldest model of its kind in North America. While the city previously created a new division within the collective agreement to lower wage rates for future hires, that plan was paused in March 2026 following the announcement of the provincial contract requirements. City officials noted that this new model, if fully implemented over the next 7 to 10 years, would save approximately $700,000 annually.
If an agreement is not reached before the current contract concludes, the province has indicated that it may move to an open procurement process for ambulance services. Provincial officials have stated that new contracts for emergency health services are expected to be in place as early as April 2027.
