Overview
- Lethbridge council, in a 7–2 vote Tuesday, upheld its March 24 stance rejecting Emergency Health Services–Alberta’s new ground ambulance contract terms and also declined to extend the current deal past Sept. 30.
- EHS–Alberta set a May 31 deadline for a sole‑source agreement, and it says ambulance service will move into a public RFEOIQ bidding process if the city does not agree, with the city free to submit a bid.
- City figures say taxpayers already cover about $3.5 million a year to support the integrated fire‑paramedic model and that the proposed change would add $3.7 million in 2027, rising to $4.6 million in 2029, or roughly $182 for the average home.
- Mayor Blaine Hyggen says the city wants to keep its 114‑year‑old integrated service without new local tax hikes and will stay open to talks or, if needed, a procurement route to try to keep the model in place.
- Debate has grown tense for officials and residents, and other cities have split on the same choice, with Red Deer and Strathcona County continuing to fund integration while Spruce Grove and Leduc took positions similar to Lethbridge.