Title: B.C. mayor calls on Ottawa to stop rolling ER closures amid wildfires URL Source: http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/bc-wildfires-er-closures Published Time: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:07:46 GMT Markdown Content: [Skip to Content](http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/bc-wildfires-er-closures#main-content) * [Subscribe](http://nationalpost.com/subscribe/) * [Our Offers](http://nationalpost.com/subscribe/) * [My Account](http://nationalpost.com/my-account/) * [Manage My Subscriptions](http://nationalpost.com/my-account/#/subscriptions/) * [FAQ](http://nationalpost.com/faq/) * [Newsletters](http://nationalpost.com/newsletters/) * [Canada](http://nationalpost.com/category/news/canada/) * [Canadian True Crime](http://nationalpost.com/category/news/true-crime/) * [Canadian Politics](http://nationalpost.com/category/news/politics/) * [Health](http://nationalpost.com/category/health/) * [World](http://nationalpost.com/category/news/world/) * [Israel & Middle 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[Home](http://nationalpost.com/) 2. [News](http://nationalpost.com/category/news/) 3. [Canada](http://nationalpost.com/category/news/canada/) ## B.C. mayor calls on Ottawa to stop rolling ER closures amid wildfires ‘These firefighters are working shift, they’re out there on the fire… and somebody gets hurt, well you know, now they’re making a one-hour trip to Kamloops or Kelowna’ Last updated 1 day ago[](http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/bc-wildfires-er-closures#comments-area) You can save this article by registering for free [here](http://nationalpost.com/register/). Or [sign-in](http://nationalpost.com/sign-in/) if you have an account. ![Image 1: Wildfire.](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/nationalpost/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/BC-wildfire-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=GTSd7wd9ed_jq-22ydZsfg) Wildfire Service firefighters tackle the Bald Range wildfire in the B.C. Interior on the night of Aug. 7/8, 2026.Photo by BC Wildfire Service OTTAWA — A southern Interior B.C. mayor is asking Ottawa to help keep area emergency rooms open while firefighters and thousands of evacuees contend with nearby wildfires. ![Image 2: National Post](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/21.8.0/websites/images/identity/logo-identity-np-new.svg) Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. * Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. * Unlimited online access to National Post. * National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. * Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. * Support local journalism. Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. * Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. * Unlimited online access to National Post. * National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. * Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. * Support local journalism. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. * Access articles from across Canada with one account. * Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. * Enjoy additional articles per month. * Get email updates from your favourite authors. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. * Access articles from across Canada with one account * Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments * Enjoy additional articles per month * Get email updates from your favourite authors ## Sign In or Create an Account or Mike Goetz, mayor of Merritt, B.C., sent a formal request for help to federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel this week, with the city’s local emergency room facing its 10th temporary shutdown of the year this weekend. In a letter seen by National Post, Goetz asked Michel to take action to ensure that local hospitals in communities like his can provide “continuous emergency care.” ![Image 3: Posted](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/21.8.0/websites/images/newsletters/icon-np-posted.svg) Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again “While healthcare delivery is primarily a provincial responsibility, the federal government plays a critical role in … ensuring that Canadians have equitable access to medically necessary services regardless of where they live,” wrote Goetz. Merritt is currently sheltering some 300 wildfire evacuees and 150 firefighters. A wildfire outbreak last weekend forced roughly 13,000 residents to flee the nearby town of Summerland. Goetz told National Post on Friday that he was driven to reach out to Ottawa by the desperation of the circumstances facing his community. “I’d done everything I possibly could and I thought, you know what, I’ve got to take it to the next level, because this just is not getting any better,” said Goetz. [Goetz told local media earlier this week](https://www.radionl.com/2026/08/12/merritts-mayor-inviting-ottawa-to-take-control-of-provincial-system-to-end-er-closures/)that his community’s emergency room was an indispensable source of 24-hour medical care for first responders putting their lives on the line. “These firefighters are working shift, they’re out there on the fire… and somebody gets hurt, well you know, now they’re making a one-hour trip to Kamloops or Kelowna,” said Goetz. Merritt, a community of 7,000 permanent residents, is one of several small towns in the southern Interior that have been hit by intermittent emergency room closures, due primarily to a lack of available doctors and nurses. According to data previously cited by Mayor Goetz, there were 137 emergency room closures across B.C.’s Interior in 2025, averaging one closure every 2.6 days. Goetz said he’d lost confidence in the B.C. government’s ability to handle the situation, and criticized provincial Health Minister Josie Osborne for what he called a lack of communication about the situation. (Osborne was moved to finance in Friday’s cabinet shuffle, with jobs minister Ravi Kahlon moving into the health ministry.) “There has to be some sort of a higher power look at this because whatever they’re trying to do right now isn’t working,” said Goetz. Goetz has been a staunch critic of the rolling emergency room closures, [sending B.C. Premier David Eby](https://www.merrittherald.com/city-of-merritt-bills-province-for-er-closures/) a $103,831.87 invoice for the service interruptions last month. Spokesperson Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell said Michel received Goetz’s letter on Tuesday and is monitoring the situation closely. Gauduchon-Campbell didn’t comment on the substance of the letter but said that Michel is in regular contact with Osbourne. “Minister Michel has regular conversations with her provincial and territorial counterparts, including Minister Osborne in BC, and remains committed to working closely with the Province to support British Columbians,” wrote Gauduchon-Campbell in an email. MLA Anna Kindy, health critic for the Opposition B.C. Conservatives, expressed support for Goetz in a statement. “It’s deeply unfortunate that the situation has gotten so critical that Merritt’s mayor, Mike Goetz, has had to make an extraordinary call for Ottawa to assert control over provincial jurisdiction,” said Kindy. “Merritt is not only sheltering wildfire evacuees but firefighters who are putting their lives at risk. Major burns and inhalation injuries need immediate airway (respiratory) management as well as cardiovascular resuscitation. Travelling a further hour due to an ER closure could be fatal.” The B.C. Ministry of Health said in an email that decisions to temporarily close emergency rooms are only made as a “last resort” and that such closures are coordinated across regional health networks to maintain safe patient care. The health ministry said that, from January to June 2026, temporary emergency department closures were down by 19 per cent compared to the same period in 2025. National Post rmohamed@postmedia.com _Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark [nationalpost.com](https://nationalpost.com/) and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, [here](https://nationalpost.com/newsletters/)._ Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about [cookies here](http://nationalpost.com/cookie-policy/). 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