Bob Mackin
A planning document for FIFA World Cup in Vancouver said British Columbia’s healthcare agencies need to be ready for anything, but emergency rooms could see fewer patients than usual.
B.C. ambulance in Lynn Valley in May 2025. (Mackin)
The Health Emergency Management B.C., Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care presentation from December 2025, obtained by theBreaker under freedom of information, said they analyzed four sporting events and 23 festivals between 2010 and 2024. Two dozen of the mass gatherings were multi-day.
No consistent trend was observed in emergency department arrivals or admissions, but “in some instances, ED arrivals were lower during the event period than in the pre-event period.”
“Given the potential for occasional surges (e.g., the 2011 Stanley Cup Riot at St. Paul’s Hospital), maintaining operational readiness during major events is recommended to manage unexpected spikes in demand,” said the presentation.
Risk assumptions
According to planners, the seven matches at B.C. Place, the tournament-long Fan Festival at the PNE grounds and ancillary events are “low-moderate risk for mass-casualty incidents, but will be highly visible internationally.”
A significant percentage of spectators will be foreign nationals. Acute and primary care demands will be modest. Additional medical visits will come from the downtown core and surrounding neighbourhoods.
BCEHS is planning for as many as 1.05 million tourists during the June 13-July 19 period, with a “multilayered, regional plan for duration of tournament.”
It is responding with more ambulances, supervisors, dispatchers, low acuity response units and specialty paramedics.
Health emergency planning document lists hazards of hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 in Vancouver. (HEMBC/FOI)
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control warned last month about World Cup health hazards, including gastrointestinal illnesses, respiratory viral infections and toxic drug overdoses.
In the stadium
The FIFA venue medical lead at B.C. Place is Dr. Jim Bovard, the Vancouver Whitecaps’ longtime team physician. His job is to organize private clinical services for players, FIFA staff and VIP ticketholders.
During match days, two B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) ambulances and paramedics will be on-site at the stadium with a special event medical team, B.C. Place first aid team, team physicians and the FIFA medical lead.
“Vancouver General Hospital is the designated hospital for FIFA players and individuals appropriate for the designated protected persons unit (e.g. internationally protected people),” the document said.
The B.C. government said in May that the budget for safety and security is $242 million.
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