2026-08-23 — Daily report — Quebec ER pressure eases slightly to a 69% provincial stretcher occupancy rate, though critical overcrowding remains in Laval, Laurentides, and Montreal.

Key Takeaways

•Overall ER pressure has decreased over the last seven days, with the provincial stretcher occupancy rate dropping by 5 percentage points to 69% and waiting patients down by 54.

•Severe localized overcrowding persists, particularly in Laval (171% stretcher occupancy), Laurentides (108%), and Montréal (104%).

•Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé in Laval is the state's most pressured facility, reporting 57 patients waiting and a critical 171% stretcher occupancy.

On August 23, 2026, emergency departments across Quebec showed a general reduction in pressure compared to the previous week, according to historical data from urgencesquebec.com. Across 120 monitored facilities, the latest snapshot registered 1,191 patients waiting and 3,050 total patients in emergency rooms, resulting in a provincial stretcher occupancy rate of 69%. This is a notable improvement from August 17, 2026, when there were 54 more patients waiting and the average stretcher occupancy sat 5 percentage points higher at 74%.

However, regional disparities reveal severe localized strain. Laval registered a critical 171% stretcher occupancy rate, driven entirely by Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé. The Laurentides (108%) and Montréal (104%) regions also exceeded their stretcher capacities, with Hôpital de Saint-Jérôme (126%) and Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne (105%) among the most heavily congested facilities in the province. Conversely, regions like Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec and Nord-du-Québec reported minimal to no stretcher occupancy.