Spruce Grove Mayor Jeff Acker says a recent decision by the Alberta government to pause changes to local ambulance services does not fix the real problem, which he believes is the province trying to push health care costs onto municipal taxpayers.
On June 23, the day after the province announced it was halting a new procurement plan for integrated fire and ambulance services, Acker released a statement making it clear he sees the move as a simple delay. “Fundamentally, this does not change the City’s position that ambulance and health services are a Provincial responsibility that should not be subsidized by municipal ratepayers,” Acker said. “The letter received from the Minister appears to simply delay the requirement for the City to match EHS’ benchmark costs, something that can’t be achieved without municipal taxpayer subsidization.”
The tension started earlier this year when Emergency Health Services Alberta told seven municipalities, including Spruce Grove, that new contracts for their combined firefighter-paramedic models would have to meet standardized provincial pricing. For Spruce Grove, that meant an extra cost of roughly $1 million a year right from the start, with increases expected after that. On May 11, city council voted unanimously not to pay that bill, choosing instead to begin moving away from running its own ambulances.
On June 22, Adriana LaGrange, Alberta’s Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, directed EHS Alberta to pause the new procurement strategy until the 2028-29 period, saying she wants more time to work with the communities on a better plan. She told the affected leaders that EHS will “design a strategy that supports them and brings costs in line with provincially delivered EHS services.” Spruce Grove is one of seven municipalities with the integrated model, alongside Red Deer, St. Albert, Strathcona County, Leduc, Lethbridge, and Wood Buffalo. While Red Deer, Strathcona County, and St. Albert agreed to keep their models and absorb the higher costs, Leduc and Lethbridge joined Spruce Grove in deciding to transition away.
Spruce Grove has run its own ambulance service through the fire department since 2009. The current contract with EHS Alberta ends September 30, and after that, the fire department will still respond to medical calls at an advanced life support level, but it will no longer use its own ambulances or take patients to hospital. Fire Chief Chad Priebe has said the local integrated model has been “celebrated” for the service it provides.
This is the second time in two weeks that Minister LaGrange has reversed course on a health care policy. On June 10, she scrapped the Alta Paramedic Health rebrand after pushback from paramedics and their unions. Some mayors have welcomed the pause on ambulance procurement, but Acker’s firm response shows the disagreement over who ultimately pays for emergency care in places like Spruce Grove remains far from settled.
