More than 100 people braved the chilly fall weather on Saturday in Tumbler Ridge to protest cuts to local emergency healthcare services.
Until recently, residents had 24/7 access to emergency care, with an ER open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on-call services available during other hours. However, since September, Northern Health has reduced on-call hours due to doctor shortages. Now, the on-call service is only available on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The health authority claims this change is temporary.
In a community of 2,400 located roughly 230 kilometers northeast of Prince George, residents believe these reductions are unacceptable. The protest, held at the town hall at 11 a.m., highlighted fears of inadequate medical care during emergencies outside standard hours.
"This is the hill to die on," said retired family physician Dr. Charles Helm, who has lived in Tumbler Ridge since the early 1990s. "The tragedy is that some of us are going to die as well if this continues." Helm criticized Northern Health for ignoring the impact of the closures but was encouraged by the strong turnout at the rally. "The citizens of Tumbler Ridge will get our ER back after hours," he told the crowd.
Ed Griffith, a miner and proud Tumbler Ridge resident, accused Premier David Eby, Minister of Health Josie Osborne, and Northern Health of abandoning the community. "One of the happiest days of my life was becoming a Canadian citizen," Griffith said after the protest. "But one thing about Canadians is we don’t give up."