Proposed project aims to reduce long-distance emergency transfers
Leaders from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) met with MP Buckley Belanger to seek support for a new Health Centre and dedicated 24-hour urgent care facility for Pelican Narrows, on Monday, March 2 according to a PBCN news release dated March 4.
They presented data to Belanger which included “update population, nursing and ambulance service” and outlined “sustained growth and escalating sustained growth and emergency demands.”
The Leadership shared a proposed project with Belanger which includes a “modern, culturally grounded health facility and a 24-hour urgent care centre designed to stabilize more patients locally and reduce long-distance emergency transfers.”
“Our people should not face higher emergency risksimply because of geography. If we are serious about health equity, then our infrastructure must reflect the community we are today,” Chief Peter Beatty is quoted as saying in the news release.
“ Our community has grown. The demand has grown. But the building hasn’t … We’re delivering 2-26-level care inside a 1995 building,” Beatty said.
Pelican Narrows populations has increased by 44 percent in the past 25 years from 2,636 in 2005 to 3789 in 2025 and the Health Centre, which was built in 1995; it has not been expanded .
“Health officials told Belanger that 23,489 patient visits occurred in 2025-6 … with more than 10,000 visits logged in the first six months of the current year alone. After-hour visits have increased from fewer than 200 per month prior to COVID-19 pandemic to over 500 per month today.”
They report 3,128 urgent calls, of which 3,128 were urgent, 1,581 alcohol or drug related and 381 were violence-related. Also, medivac number increased to 855. “approximately 90 percent higher than a decade ago.”
Leaders also report increased ambulance use, which can also mean the community is without ambulance service for up to 12 hours. These numbers are not abstract. They reflect the reality our nurses and emergency staff face every single day, Rose Michel, health director for Pelican Narrows, said.
PBCN plans to continue discussions with the feds and to pursue funding for the health care facilities they need.
