The RM of Cartier's sent a letter to Manitoba Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen to express concerns over plans to close the Elie ambulance station.

As part of a province-wide EMS overhaul recently announced by the Pallister government, several EMS stations across the province are to be consolidated or closed. Elie is one station tabbed for closure, and according to Cartier Reeve Dale Fossay the decision was made with no consultation between levels of government.

Rural Municipality of Cartier Reeve Dale Fossay. (file photo)

The letter — sent by Cartier CAO Virginia Beckwith on behalf of Cartier Council — says plainly to Minister Goertzen: "We do not understand the rationale behind this decision and feel that some crucial factors were overlooked in arriving at this conclusion."

It goes on to list concerns, such as:

1) The Cartier EMS is already a 24/7 EMS station and it appears the proposed closures are trying to create and maintain more facilities with 24/7 services.
2) There are no facility costs to the province to operate the Cartier EMS, as the municipality provides accommodations free of charge.
3) Nearest EMS stations to service Cartier are Portage la Prairie and Oak Bluff and the 30-minute response time is only during ideal road conditions.
4) Out of 20 EMS stations in Southern Health Sante Sud, Cartier ranks consistently as the 11th busiest.
5) Cartier EMS services a "notoriously" bad stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway between Portage and Headingley; A stretch of highway that closes five to six times per year because of weather conditions.
6) Volunteer firefighters do not have the skills or training to perform duties of paramedics at accident scenes but would be required to until paramedics arrive.
7) The addition of 29 new positions does nothing to alleviate distances of communities to proposed EMS stations.

There has been no timeline provided to the municipality from the province yet, Fossay says, as to when the Elie EMS station will close.

"The decision is not well thought out from our perspective and (there is) a total lack of any kind of consultation," the RM of Cartier Reeve adds. "We certainly would like to have an opportunity to present our points in person. We may not get a response right at that time or enter a debate, but we'd like to make sure our voice is heard to the committee that made these decisions."

See related stories:

"Cartier Reeve Concerned Over Possible Elie EMS Closure"

"Rural Emergency Medical Service Upgrades"