Ambulance delays in Lloydminster are drawing new scrutiny after multiple sources confirmed available paramedic crews were not being dispatched during a recent spike in emergency calls to The Border Pulse.
The concern follows an April 13 incident where Lloydminster RCMP responded to five suspected overdoses in a span of seven hours. Police administered at least four doses of naloxone and, in one case, transported a patient to hospital due to “delays in ground ambulance response”.
None of the overdoses were fatal.
Multiple sources familiar with local ambulance operations say WPD paramedics have not been dispatched to calls in Lloydminster since April 11, despite crews being available.
Those sources indicate the situation stems from an ongoing contractual dispute involving the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
The dispute follows an arbitration process between WPD and the Saskatchewan Health Authority that concluded in August 2025. A decision from that process has not been publicly released, and it is unclear whether it has been issued.
However, the details remain unclear.
Other sources familiar with the matter say WPD crews may still be under contract during this period, but are not being dispatched through the current dispatch system.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority has not publicly clarified the current status of WPD’s role in Lloydminster.
The distinction between crews being unavailable and crews not being dispatched is now at the centre of the issue.
As of today, WPD crews were reporting to dispatch they were “ready and willing to work” upon shift sign-in.
That question carries real-world implications.
Throughout the day yesterday, ground ambulance units were handling multiple calls for service in addition to the reported overdoses, including a rollover collision that resulted in two people being transported to hospital.
At least one patient was transported by RCMP as a result.
Police say the recent overdoses may involve substances with higher opioid concentrations than expected, though analysis is still pending. The source of the drugs has not yet been identified.
RCMP are reminding the public to avoid using drugs alone, carry naloxone, and call 911 in the event of an overdose.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority has not publicly clarified the current status of WPD’s role in Lloydminster.
The Border Pulse has reached out to the Saskatchewan Health Authority for comment. A response is being prepared and will be published when it becomes available.
Read more: Two injured after morning rollover in Lloydminster
