During the week ending August 24, 2026 (Week 35), Quebec's emergency departments faced a mixed trend of rising internal patient volume and varying regional pressures. Across the province's 120 monitored facilities, the total number of patients currently in the ER climbed from 2,886 to 3,192 by the end of the week. This influx drove average stretcher occupancy up by eleven percentage points, starting at 69% and closing at a heavy 80%. Interestingly, the active waiting list saw a modest decrease, dropping from 1,108 patients to 970.
Regional disparities remain stark. Laval topped the list as the most congested region, experiencing an acute 155% stretcher occupancy rate centered entirely at Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé. Other metropolitan and surrounding areas also faced immense strain; Montérégie reported a 126% stretcher occupancy with 216 patients waiting, while Lanaudière reached 120%. Conversely, regions such as Nord-du-Québec and Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec reported stable conditions with virtual absences of stretcher pressure and minimal waiting times.
On an individual facility level, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont in Montréal was the busiest, recording 49 patients waiting and 102 total in the ER. Montérégie's Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne closely followed with 46 waiting and a 105% stretcher occupancy. Other notable high-pressure hubs included Hôpital Pierre-Le Gardeur in Lanaudière with 38 waiting and Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé, which grappled with 123 total ER patients and a severe 155% stretcher occupancy, highlighting localized bottlenecks that continue to challenge provincial healthcare capacity.