Advocates and community leaders in Lloydminster — a city that straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary — are calling for the release of a report into the state of health care in the city, information they say is essential to address current service level gaps and to plan for future growth.
On June 25, the Saskatchewan government released a four-page summary of the full assessment on its website, citing findings that health-care capacity within the region is in comparatively good shape.
“Although several opportunities were identified, the needs assessment also acknowledged that overall service levels are being met similar to other communities of this size,” reads the summary.
Paul Richer, chair of the Lloydminster and District Health Advisory Council, said he disagrees. He said the summary’s description does not reflect the reality lived by locals, or the one documented by previous analyses of Lloydminster’s health care.
“There’s services that are lacking badly in Lloydminster for our size and the service area,” Richer said.
He pointed to recommendations from a similar report published in 2013, which stated the Lloydminster area was underserved compared to provincial averages.
Dr. Raffath Sayeed has been a general practitioner in the border city for nearly 50 years. He said he believes releasing the full report, paid for by tax dollars, is paramount when it comes to improving patient care.
“Lloydminster has been shortchanged for at least the last 15 years,” Sayeed told CBC News.
In an emailed statement, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health said the needs assessment contains confidential information which could impact future negotiations, and will be used as an internal planning document.
CBC News reached out for comment from Alberta’s Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services, Ministry of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction and Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services but had not received a response as of the time of publication.
Sayeed said advocates like Richer can’t push for changes without having up-to-date details on service levels and independent analyses of gaps in delivery.
“The whole reason for having a 2025 report was because they said the 2013 report was outdated,” said Sayeed. “But nothing in the 2013 report was implemented, so things have only gotten worse.”
Richer said, in his opinion, the new four-page summary doesn’t contain any new information.
He added that he believes many of the recommendations, like increasing specialized roles such as nurse practitioners, expanding non-hospital services and extending primary care hours, are common-sense suggestions.
“It was very watered down,” said Richer. “You can remove Lloydminster and interject North Battleford, Vegreville — any community our size.”
Richer said he believed all signs pointed to the report being made public once finalized. He said he was only notified it would not be released after a meeting with government officials last month.
“It was strange to me because I would have said something if I would realize it would be only a four–page basic summary,” he said.
“It is a major disappointment for sure, without a doubt.”
Two prior health needs assessments for Lloydminster, including the 2013 report, were made public after completion.
Cheryl Camillo is a semi-retired adjunct associate professor at the University of Regina with a background in health policy reform and experience as a public health insurance administrator.
She said she believes the Saskatchewan government’s stance doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
“In a democratic system such as ours, and in a publicly-funded health-care system, the people of both Saskatchewan and Alberta deserve more details,” Camillo said.
She said when governments compare health-care capacity to other communities rather than assessing service levels against a universal standard, she believes it moves the goalposts for the kind and quality of care residents can expect.
“It shows an alarming attitude toward the provision of health care,” Camillo said.
“If a physician [or] any health-care worker … says, ‘Well, maybe this isn’t optimal, but it’s better than the care at that hospital over there,’ would you be alarmed and upset and feel as if they’ve violated the ethics of their profession?
“I would, most certainly.”
Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers said dealing with two different provincial governments on two different cycles, and a rotating door of health ministers, are challenges that are unique to his community.
“It is a challenge we live with,” he told CBC News. “Here we are, as I like to say, at the end of two roads — yet the highway doesn’t end.”
But collaboration is possible, Aalbers said, pointing to the community’s newest renal dialysis unit which opened last fall after a decade in the works. Located in Saskatchewan, but funded and operated by Alberta, the unit more than doubled renal dialysis capacity in the community.
Whether the full report is released or not, Aalbers said he hopes the information contained in it is put to use.
“At the end of the day, we are on the outside,” he said. “We are waiting patiently to hear as much information is shared by the governments, by the ministries, as to where it’s going.”
UCP MLA Garth Rowswell, who represents the Alberta riding of Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright, said he has been advocating for his own government to release the report and encourages residents to continue pressing for more information.
“I’d like to get the report, and like everyone, to see the report,” he told CBC News. “But I’m not going to criticize … [Alberta’s Primary and Preventative Health Services] Ministry, they’ve got their reasons.”
Rowswell said while he understands the frustrations of locals, work is being done behind the scenes. The restructuring of health ministries and the creation of health corridors in Alberta will allow for money to move towards the right projects, hopefully at a faster pace, he said.
“It’s not that we’re not spending enough money. I just think it hasn’t been allocated properly,” Rowswell said.
A spokesperson for Saskatchewan MLA Colleen Young, who represents the riding of Lloydminster told CBC News Young has also been advocating for her government to release the report.
Richer said he feels that getting items crossed off his ever-growing list of asks, including more long-term care capacity, dedicated mental health stabilization beds and more imaging equipment and operating space seem like pipe dreams.
“I’ve put six years into this. It’s not a lifelong volunteer position,” he said, adding he’s considering retiring as chair of the Lloydminster and District Health Advisory Council.
“When two provinces say they’re not going to release a document, what am I going to do?”