EMS Contract Discussions with EHS-Alberta

Chronological Background

The City’s current EMS (ambulance) agreement ends on September 30, 2026. Emergency Health Services (EHS) - Alberta has offered the option to extend the agreement for up to 2.5 years starting October 1, 2026, to allow more time for discussion and decision-making. 

Even if the agreement ends on that date, the current contract requires The City to continue providing EMS (ambulance) services until March 31, 2027, if there is a transition to a different provider. In other words, services won’t suddenly stop on October 1, 2026. 

The extension also doesn’t mean the full 2.5 years will be used. Services could change sooner if a new agreement is reached, or if service shifts to another provider. 

March 13, 2026
  • Alberta Health Services (EHS-Alberta) met with the City Manager and Acting Fire Chief.  
  • They presented an offer to enter sole-source negotiations for a new long-term contract.  
  • Under this approach, The City would be responsible for covering any gap between what the EHS-Alberta is willing to pay and the actual cost of delivering ambulance services. 
    • In simple terms, if it costs more to run the service than what EHS-Alberta provides, The City would need to cover the difference. That gap would be funded locally, meaning it would ultimately be paid for by taxpayers. 
  • Limited information was provided (no clear costing details or contract length).  
    Initial timelines:  
    • Questions due: March 27  
    • Decision required: March 31  
March 20, 2026
  • Follow-up meeting with EHS-Alberta. 
  • Additional information shared:  
    • Proposed contract term: 5 years, with a 5-year renewal option  
  • EHS-Alberta offered another meeting with their Contracts team to answer questions.  
  • Deadline extended to April 30, 2026  
March 23, 2026
  • Meeting with City leadership 
  • EHS-Alberta provided:  
    • More detailed costing information and context  
    • Further explanation of terms and conditions  
  • City requested more time to fully flush out analysis of costing, understand impacts and consider options. 
  • Deadline extended again to May 31, 2026
April 15, 2026
  • The Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services, Adriana LaGrange, and senior EHS leadership hosted a province-wide virtual session  
  • Participants included Mayors and CAOs from Alberta’s mid-sized cities (I6 group)  
  • Purpose:  
    • Outline the Province’s overall direction for EMS service delivery  
    • Provide an opportunity for municipalities to ask questions and hear consistent messaging 
April 9, 2026
  • EHS-Alberta met in person at City Hall with City representatives.  
  • Provided:  
    • Updated (higher) cost estimates, reflecting recent wage increases through collective bargaining  
    • Additional explanation of their costing model  
  • Continued clarification, but discussions still evolving