As a collaboration between the Manitoba Health Coalition (MHC) and SEED Winnipeg’s Manitoba Financial Empowerment Policy Committee (MFEPC), a questionnaire was sent out to all candidates running for Mayor or City Councillor in Winnipeg’s 2026 municipal election. We had an over 50 per cent reply rate to our questionnaire with 27 candidates responding.
The questionnaire focused on ambulance fees, especially highlighting the cost of ambulance rides as a potential financial barrier for older adults with low-incomes, newcomers with financial difficulties, and Indigenous Peoples.
The first question asked candidates whether they agreed that the cost of ambulance fees (approximately $250 for people without insurance) constituted a barrier to accessing emergency medical services. In response, 25 out of 27 candidates answered yes. One stated that they were unsure, and another said no, but went on to clarify that they believed emergency services, including ambulance rides, should be fully free to the public.
Candidates were also asked what types of approaches they would support to address this issue. The majority supported a host of potential solutions, including income-based exemptions or waivers (21); elimination of fees for older adults (16); elimination of fees for newcomers experiencing financial hardship (14); funding discussions with the Province (20); reviewing the City’s ambulance fee structure with a health equity lens (17).
Two additional candidates – Robyn Vilde and Chris Sweryda – stated that they supported the complete elimination of ambulance fees for all Winnipegers.
Overall, these findings demonstrate robust support for addressing ambulance fees as a financial barrier to accessing equitable emergency care in Winnipeg.
“Not everyone can afford a $250 ambulance ride, especially those who are without private insurance to help offset the cost. A fully accessible health care system must ensure that access is based on medical need, not the ability to pay. This principle should include ambulance rides as a medically necessary part of care,” says MHC Provincial Director Noah Schulz.
We hope that all successful candidates in Winnipeg’s municipal election will take the results of this questionnaire seriously and take action to reduce and eliminate ambulance fees for financially vulnerable Winnipegers when they are elected this fall.