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Indigenous health-care providers in northwest B.C. say they are unable to book patients’ medical appointments in Vancouver during the FIFA World Cup events this summer because of the high cost of hotel rooms and travel.
The Nisga’a Valley Health Authority has sent a notice informing patients it is implementing a blackout for non-emergency patient travel bookings to the Lower Mainland between June 10 to July 20.
B.C. Place stadium in downtown Vancouver is set to host seven games between June 11 and July 19 as part of the continent-wide competition, and the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) Amphitheatre will host a fan festival for the duration of the event.
“We’ve been noticing changes to the prices of hotel rooms in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland for the past two years, ever since the announcement was made, and that’s affected us greatly,” said Melanie Doolan, the director of health benefits for the Nisga’a Valley Health Authority.
“Now with the tournament dates looming, we know that there will be a very high demand for rooms and a very short supply, meaning we’ll have to pay top dollar if we even acquire any rooms that might be available during that time.”
A 2025 report by Deloitte commissioned by Airbnb estimates a total accommodation capacity in hotels and short-term rentals will be around 41,800 during the FIFA World Cup for Metro Vancouver and 22,700 for the City of Vancouver.
It said that amounts to a shortfall of about “70,000 nights” and not all visitors will be able to find a place to stay during the games.
Then tourism minister, Spencer Chandra Herbert, said in June 2025 that about 350,000 people are expected to visit Vancouver during the World Cup.
Vancouver is set to host seven soccer games when the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to town. Our Laurence Watt dives into whether Vancouver is ready to accommodate visitors flying in for the event.
Planning for emergencies
B.C.’s Ministry of Health directed inquiries about the impact of the World Cup on health services for First Nations to the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), which supports more than 200 First Nations across B.C.
In a statement, the FNHA said it has been advising communities to avoid non-urgent medical appointments during the World Cup “due to the extraordinary pressure on transportation and accommodation that Vancouver will experience during this period.”
Doolan says in terms of patient travel, they are bound by budgetary restrictions and obligated to provide coverage in the most economical way.
She says aside from patients with a new diagnosis, they regularly book accommodations for patients who need to see specialists in the Lower Mainland for routine oncology, rheumatology, nephrology or cardiology appointments.
“Sometimes every six months, sometimes every three months. We even have a client that had to travel every month to receive treatment which had to be administered at St. Paul’s Hospital because it couldn’t be delivered in any of the northern hospitals.”
Doolan says by giving advance notice, she hopes there won’t be adverse effects on patients and they can schedule specialist appointments around the blackout period.
“When emergencies happen, it’s a different story,” she said. “We can’t make reservations too far in advance for emergency clients so in limiting our non-emergency travel, we’re hoping that along with the rest of the Indigenous health service providers such as First Nations Authority, we will all be able to have access to hotel rooms when our emergency clients need them.”
The Skidegate Health Centre on Haida Gwaii has posted a similar notice informing patients they are unable to approve or provide funding for travel to the Vancouver area for the months of June and July and have asked patients to reschedule specialist appointments.
Doolan says she’s noticed accommodation prices have increased since restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted and concerts began to resume.
“The expenses for accommodations in the Lower Mainland has skyrocketed unbelievably in the past three years and each year our organization has to reorganize priorities and be very, very stringent with our criteria for medical travel and that has not been enough to rein in the expenses,” she said.
“This move is not something that we are really comfortable with doing, but we feel like it’s the best option.”
