Mission – The continued overnight closures at Mission Memorial Hospital’s emergency department are putting lives at risk and pushing a strained emergency response system even further to the brink, says Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper.
In an opinion piece sent to media: “Let’s be clear: this is a public safety issue,” said Gasper. “When the ER is closed, the healthcare demands do not disappear. Instead, they shift to our paramedics and firefighters, who are already stretched thin. This is neither a sustainable nor safe situation for our community.”
The latest extension of closures, now stretching weeks longer, has deepened very real concerns about healthcare availability across Mission. Residents are being forced to travel farther in emergencies, while frontline responders face increasing pressures and longer response times.
“People in Mission are fearful, frustrated, and angry, and they have every right to be,” Gasper said. “Families don’t know if care will be there when they need it most. That uncertainty is unacceptable in a system that’s supposed to be there for everyone.”
Gasper has been actively raising the alarm, including organizing a community rally, sending formal letters to the Minister of Health, and calling for immediate action and accountability from both the provincial government and Fraser Health.
She has launched a community petition to demand action. “I’m asking residents to make their voices heard,” said Gasper. “You can sign the petition by visiting my website and adding your name to the growing call for immediate action and change.”
Gasper emphasized that this issue goes beyond short-term fixes. “This is about fairness, accountability, and access,” she said. “Residents of Mission deserve the same reliable, 24/7 emergency care as any other community in British Columbia. Right now, they are not getting it.”
With no clear timeline for when full ER service will be restored, Gasper is pressing for answers. “How much longer will this go on?” she asked. “Our community deserves a clear plan, real timelines, and immediate results, not simply more uncertainty.”
