Bob Mackin
The Canadian Medical Association says there may not be enough doctors, nurses or space in Vancouver and Toronto hospitals to treat ill and injured FIFA World Cup visitors and local residents.
The vice-president of the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. (APBC) agrees.
Toronto emergency physician Catherine Varner authored an editorial in the latest edition of the CMA Journal, called “Mass gathering events underscore serious vulnerabilities in health care capacity in Canada.”
Varner said a surge due to an infectious disease outbreak or mass-casualty event (like the deadly Lapu Lapu Day car ramming attack) could overwhelm the healthcare system.
“A coherent, feasible, actionable, and national plan is urgently needed to increase hospital beds and train the required personnel such that quality of care can be maintained,” Varner wrote.
Five-month countdown
Vancouver is hosting seven matches in June and July and Toronto six. Both cities will also stage tournament-long fan festivals. FIFA requires security closures around stadiums, training facilities and team hotels.
Toronto Public Health (TPH) officials told city council last October that they are planning for risks such as communicable diseases (including sexually transmitted infections), drunkenness, food poisoning, extreme heat and wildfire smoke. TPH is also expanding staffing and overtime capacity.
Dave Deines of the APBC said the union expressed concerns to B.C. Ambulance Service management in December. He said management told the union that there is a plan for 35 dedicated World Cup positions, but Deines wonders how many call-takers, dispatchers and logistics staff will be needed to support the frontline paramedics.
“We have not been provided with any level of detail or a plan. If there is one, we’re certainly not aware of it,” Deines said.
Neither the Ministry of Health nor the Office of the Premier provided a statement to theBreaker.news by deadline.
Deines said Toronto emergency plans there include putting the heavy urban search and rescue team on-standby to manage any potential mass casualty event.
“Not only do we not know what type of dedicated resources will happen for B.C. Place, but we’re unsure of any type of upstaffing for the regional fleet to address those demands,” Deines said.
Labour strife
Meanwhile, the union’s contract expired at the end of March 2025. Deines said the union proposed to the Health Employers Association of B.C. that B.C.’s top labour mediator, Vince Ready, be called-in to kickstart negotiations and avoid any disruption to service.
Paramedics are not an essential service, but essential service levels are to be decided via the Labour Relations Board.
“A withdrawal of service would be the last thing that that we would want to do,” Deines said. “That is certainly not on anybody’s radar.”
Deines also hopes history does not repeat. In November 2009, with the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics looming, the BC Liberal government ordered paramedics to end work-to-rule. Back-to-work legislation imposed a 3% pay raise and one-year contract retroactive to April 1, 2009.
Kevin Falcon was the health minister back then and he blamed the H1N1 flu, rather than the Olympics.
Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.
