On December 8, I was privileged to be part of a delegation to the Northern Health Board of Directors in Prince George, led by Mayor Darryl Krakowka and related to our after-hours and weekend ER closure. Also presenting were Councillor Nicole Noksana, Councillor Chris Norbury, CAO Lisa Scott, and MLA Larry Neufeld. More about that meeting in a minute.
On December 9 Northern Health released an update on Facebook for Tumbler Ridge, unrelated to this meeting.
While there were many things in the update that deserved a rebuttal, it was decided to remain quiet, to give the Northern Health Board time to respond to our delegation presentation. That time has now passed.
For anyone without the necessary background knowledge, one could read that Facebook update and think that things are turning out just fine, and that all is well in the world of Tumbler Ridge health care.
That is why the update is dangerously misleading: it paints a picture of collaboration, co-operation and progress between Northern Health and the Mayor, Council and residents of Tumbler Ridge. It finishes off by thanking us all for our ongoing “support and collaboration”. We are told that ambulance transfers are necessary to get us as quickly as possible to get us to a higher level of care. We are reminded repeatedly that we have access to 24/7 ER care. It even mentions me by name in one place.
In short, it tries to perpetuate the notion that collaboration is actually happening, when the truth is very different.
Anyone who knows anything about health care in Tumbler Ridge will understand the spin that underlines these statements. Yes, we have access to ER care after hours and on weekends, but only in the sense that anyone in Canada (no matter how remote) with access to an ambulance has access to ER care. And that ER care will first require a long transfer with substantial elevation change on often-dubious roads to a hospital that might itself be on diversion.
Perhaps the most egregious, insensitive portion is where it uses data to show how the number of ‘service disruptions’ (that is, diversions) has decreased, using November 2025 as an example.
A more realistic look at the data will lead to the conclusion that we actually had 30 so-called ‘service disruptions’ in November: one for each daily planned diversion when our ER shut down after hours and on weekends.
It is obvious that once ER after-hours care is terminated, there will be fewer planned service disruptions (by the same token, a good way to get rid of diversions completely would be to shut down ER services completely).
The irony of this tone-deaf claim is remarkable: Northern Health shuts down our ER after hours and then shares the ‘good news’ with us that there have been no diversions for a whole month.
The update ignores the fact that without timely intervention in the Tumbler Ridge ER, the risks to our health often increase, with loss of the concepts of the ‘golden hour’ and ‘closer-to home’ care. It ignores the inconvenient truth that some of us will face dire health consequences because of what our health authority has chosen to impose on us.
Sadly, this use of selective information and spin is no longer surprising. Thankfully, the responses to the update on Facebook make it clear that most Tumbler Ridge residents are not fooled. No matter how the situation is portrayed, we know what the truth is about our health care. And that is why I was so grateful that Mayor Krakowka and Council invited me to be part of their delegation to address the Northern Health Board of Directors in Prince George.
I want to give you, the residents of Tumbler Ridge, a quick summary of what I said to them. I provided my medical opinion, based on having worked here for more than 28 years, that what they have done to our residents and community by removing after-hours and weekend ER coverage is MEDICALLY UNSOUND and puts our lives at risk, and I provided examples.
I explained that as we have not all been to medical school we often do not know how sick we are, and rather than travel long distances by ambulance, many may choose to wait until morning, which can have fatal or near-fatal consequences.
I reviewed specific medical risks linked to distance and terrain, such as pneumothorax worsening during transport over high elevation roads, and noted that certain conditions (like some types of heart attack) are best treated with life-saving therapy locally before transfer.
I pointed out how any decisions regarding our ER should have involved local expertise, rather than being taken from the comfort of Prince George. And I criticized the clandestine way in which the decision affecting our after-hours care had been taken, in contravention of Northern Health’s own policies.
I contrasted the Northern Health approach with that of other health authorities, who are actually innovating to keep rural ERs open after hours using virtual care. I reminded them that all that is needed to try to bring virtual ER care to Tumbler Ridge (through VERRa) after hours and on weekends is the green light from Northern Health.
I pointed out, of course, what a special community Tumbler Ridge is and how we should be a flagship for Northern Health, rather than be the recipients of this treatment, and how maintaining access to our ER after hours and on weekends is key to maintaining our community identity, our safety, and our ability to recruit healthcare providers.
I concluded with two suggestions:
- Commit to reopening after-hours and weekend ER service in Tumbler Ridge as soon as possible, ideally using VERRa as an interim solution.
- Pursue mediation to restore collaboration and ensure that Northern Health’s policy of allowing for community involvement in strategic planning is upheld.
In other words, there were no surprises – I simply explained what I have publicly been saying since early September when the initial Northern Health announcement was made. I do not know how my message and these suggestions were received. What I can say is that I have a sense of relief at having shared this medical opinion with the Northern Health Board of Directors. I have no idea whether or not my medical colleagues within Northern Health have expressed similar opinions about our community and the safety of our residents. But I now know that the Northern Health Board has heard this directly from a local physician’s perspective. If they listen to my words, I will be immensely relieved. If they choose to ignore this medical opinion, at least I will know that it will not be from a position of ignorance.
The resolute position of our elected leaders inspires me to continue to speak truth to power. Mayor Krakowka, Councillors Noksana and Norbury, CAO Scott and MLA Neufeld all spoke passionately to the Northern Health Board, and Executive Assistant Karen Curry ensured all that was said was minuted. I thank them all for what they are doing to fight for proper health care in Tumbler Ridge.
