‘Staffing challenges’ close Chetwynd emergency department again

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Chetwynd’s emergency department has reopened this morning after a last-minute overnight closure announcement from Northern Health. 

At 8 p.m. on August 12th, Northern Health announced on Facebook that the Chetwynd General Hospital emergency department would be closed from 8 p.m. on August 12th to 5 a.m. on August 13th due to “staffing challenges.”

If residents in the area required life-threatening medical attention, Northern Health recommended calling 9-1-1 for transportation to the nearest available medical facility. 

If non-emergency medical attention was needed, residents without a family doctor or nurse practitioner could call the Northern Health Virtual Primary and Community Care Clinic at 1-844-645-7811. 

This is the second emergency room closure in August, after the Fort Nelson General Hospital’s emergency department closed on August 3rd, and the third Northern Health-operated medical service closure this month, as the Fort St. John Hospital’s birthing centre was closed overnight on August 7th. 

So far in 2025, the Chetwynd emergency department has closed 15 times for a total of 318 hours.