Merritt mayor urges federal health minister to intervene in rolling ER shutdowns amid wildfires

Mayor Mike Goetz of Merritt, a town of about 7,000 residents, wrote to Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel urging an urgent investigation into the pattern of emergency-room closures that have forced patients to travel an hour to larger centres. The request comes as the town shelters roughly 300 wildfire evacuees and 150 firefighters, while its local ER faces its tenth scheduled shutdown. Goetz expressed a loss of confidence in the provincial response and singled out Health Minister Josie Osborne for a lack of communication.

Michel’s office acknowledged receipt of the letter, said the minister is closely monitoring the issue, and noted ongoing conversations with provincial counterparts. Opposition health critic MLA Anna Kindy backed the mayor’s call, highlighting the risk to injured firefighters needing timely care.