Community members gathered at the Stettler Community Hall on June 11 to honor local paramedics with a prestigious provincial healthcare award.
The luncheon was held to present the Stettler District Ambulance Association with the 2026 RHPAP Rhapsody Healthcare Heroes Award, to recognize the team’s service during the COVID-19 pandemic and the local physician shortage in 2024.
Linda Borg, manager of the SDAA, said the team was overwhelmed by the community’s response.
“I’m just in awe,” Borg said. “It’s just an honour to receive it. The support is unbelievable with my paramedics that showed up and all of the community.”
The program featured remarks from Stettler Mayor Gord Lawlor and County Reeve Larry Clarke, as well as former patient and citizen advocate Dave Guba.
Guba shared his experience of surviving a heart attack, directly thanking the paramedics who responded to his call, whom he called his “angels.”
Upon accepting the award, the association extended its thanks to its board members for their lobbying efforts with the province against contracting the paramedic service out to another provider.
“We weren’t just going to let them come in and take it from us, and send it out to somebody else,” Borg said. “We were fighting, we wanted this, and I think our track record helped them realize we are worthy of keeping.”
Instead of facing an uncertain future, the SDAA shared the news that the association has secured its operational contract through 2037.
“We have paramedics now that are moving into town and buying houses, because we know we’re not going anywhere, so they’re happy,” Borg said.
The turnaround follows years of challenging conditions, including a push by the association to end the “coreflex” staffing model, which had caused severe staff fatigue due to long hours of being on-call.
“We are also leaders because of our equipment,” Borg noted, as the local model has allowed the service to act as a trailblazer. “We tend to do the training and get the equipment first, so we’re trying to set the path we believe should be across the province.”
In addition to serving the Stettler area, the team also provides vital Advanced Life Support (ALS) to rural communities to the east, including Castor, Consort, and Coronation.
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
