Member municipalities of the Stettler District Ambulance Association are losing a source of rental revenue following shifts in provincial health land ownership and ambulance funding agreements.
At the Oct. 20 Town of Stettler meeting, council heard that since 2010, member municipalities had received roughly $42,000 in annual rent payments for the Stettler ambulance station building.
The payments originated when Alberta Health Services took over the local ambulance contract and provided funding for building rent.
However, when the ambulance service contract was revised to transition to two 12-hour shifts, AHS/EHS discontinued building rent funding, replacing it with depreciation funding to support the facility’s eventual replacement.
On April 1, 2025, ownership of the AHS land beneath the SDAA station transferred to Alberta Infrastructure, which now leases the property to the Health Shared Services Provincial Health Corporation.
Under the new arrangement, SDAA was notified in May 2026 that it must begin paying land rent when its sublease is renewed on Oct. 1, 2026.
Initially quoted at $16,000 annually, SDAA negotiated the land lease down to $8,000 per year.
Given that SDAA no longer receives provincial funding for municipal rent and must now pay for land use, council heard the ambulance association intends to end building rent payments to municipalities and redirect those funds into capital reserves.
The board is made up of representatives from the Town of Stettler, County of Stettler, Big Valley, Donalda and the summer villages of Rochon Sands and White Sands.
The SDAA provides Advanced Life Support coverage across the Stettler region and east country, operating two staffed ambulances 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The operation relies on a rotation of 16 full-time and 22 casual staff.
Author: Landin Chambers
Landin Chambers is a news reporter for Hometown Media Stettler. He has a background in broadcast news, with previous roles in Prince George, Red Deer and Calgary. You may also see him as a cameraman for the Stettler Wildcats and Stettler Imperials. Have a story idea? Email: lchambers@htproductionsmedia.ca
