Niagara Health revises urgent care schedule amid public outcry

Brent Jones
June 27, 2025 at 5:37 PM

Niagara Health has announced a partial reversal of previously planned summer closures at the Douglas Memorial urgent care centre, a decision that sparked public outcry and criticism from local officials.

According to an updated schedule released June 26, the Fort Erie urgent care centre will now be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Canada Day and throughout the Labour Day long weekend in September.

The facility will continue operating Monday through Thursday and on weekends, but will remain closed on Fridays and during the Civic Holiday long weekend.

Fort Erie’s urgent care centre will now be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Canada Day and throughout the Labour Day long weekend in September. Credit: Town of Fort Erie | Google Maps

The revised schedule comes after Niagara Health announced on June 9 that the Fort Erie urgent care centre would be closed every Friday throughout the summer, with additional closures on long weekends, citing a “critical physician shortage.”

At that time, Niagara Health said 111 physician shifts across its system remained unfilled for the summer, with most vacancies at emergency departments in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.

“This is the minimum level of closure required to maintain emergency care across the region,” said Dr. Kevin Chan, chief of staff and executive vice president of medical affairs at Niagara Health.

In response to the updated schedule, the Town of Fort Erie issued a statement Friday acknowledging Niagara Health’s efforts to partially reinstate service but expressing continued concern over the overall level of access.

“While these restored dates are appreciated, both communities (of Fort Erie and Port Colborne) remain without urgent care services for approximately a dozen days each during the peak of the summer season,” the release said, pointing to increased demand from tourism during summer months.

Mayor Wayne Redekop criticized the cuts, calling them “band-aid solutions” that may be seen as a step toward the eventual elimination of urgent care services in Fort Erie and Port Colborne.

“Without a coordinated effort to recruit more physicians…and a long-term vision that benefits all residents, these are only partial solutions,” Redekop said in the release.

Earlier this week, Redekop and a delegation of Fort Erie councillors and town staff presented an alternative vision for the Douglas Memorial site to the Niagara Health board.

Their proposal included establishing alternative level-of-care beds to relieve pressure on emergency departments, enhancing diagnostic services, and exploring opportunities for healthcare education and on-site training programs.

The town argued that shifting non-acute patients away from emergency departments would reduce wait times, address ambulance off-load delays, and lead to more efficient use of funding across the region.

“By maximizing urgent care services in Fort Erie and reimagining the use of Douglas Memorial, we can help relieve pressure on emergency departments, support our paramedics, and better serve residents throughout Niagara,” Redekop said during the presentation.

Niagara Health has not publicly responded to the town’s long-term vision, but Redekop has confirmed a formal request has been made to meet with the Ontario Minister of Health.

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With files from Kris Dubé. Original headline and lede were modified for accuracy on June 30, 2025.