ST. PAUL – County of St. Paul council approved STARS Air Ambulance’s request for council to make a standing motion to provide $14,000 to STARS annually, during council’s last regular meeting on March 11.
This is the same amount of funding the County contributed to STARS last year.
A standing motion means the motion will continue until council decides to stop.
Coun. Darrell Younghans, who made the motion, as well as Reeve Glen Ockerman, agreed that due to the years of partnership with STARS, it is time for the County to show a level of commitment.
During the meeting, Shannon Paquette, Central Alberta Municipal Relations Liaison with STARS, provided the non-profit's annual update to council.
She said STARS transported a total of 44 County of St. Paul residents last year. STARS flew 3,927 missions in 2024 across Western Canada.
Paquette also said that since 2010, a total of 173 County residents have been flown by STARS. She said 61 of those residents were picked up from outside County boundaries, including patients picked up outside the province.
“It's a reminder that accident and illness do not happen just close to home, and that wherever your residents travel across western Canada, we're there for them,” she said.
From 2020 to 2024, STARS also saw a 30 to 40 per cent increase in mission volume within the County, said Paquette.
According to the information attached to the meeting agenda, 227 County residents were flown between those years, compared to 190 residents flown from 2015 to 2019.
Patients are flown free of charge.
Over 50 per cent of STARS’ approximately $35 million annual direct operational costs is funded through fundraisers, lotteries, and donations, while the rest is provided through government funding, including $15 million from the Government of Alberta.
Ockerman, on behalf of the council, thanked STARS for their service.
“I hope this council continues the support in the future,” said the reeve.
