Québec ER Capacity Snapshot — February 2026
Québec ERs averaged 88.3% occupancy in February 2026, with modest declines compared to January and last year, according to provincial operational data.
Across Québec, emergency departments reported a province-wide average capacity of 88.3 patients during February 1–28, 2026, based on compiled provincial operational load reports. Alongside that average load, facilities reported an average of 5.18 patients staying over 24 hours and 1.82 staying over 48 hours (measured as reported counts within the same operational dataset).
This is a descriptive look at operational load reporting—not a measure of quality of care or clinical outcomes.
At a Glance
Average reported ER capacity (Québec): 88.3% Average patients over 24 hours: 5.18 Average patients over 48 hours: 1.82 Highest single reported capacity value during the month: 400%
Regional Patterns
February’s averages were not uniform across the province.
Montréal (21 participating facilities) reported a comparatively high monthly average capacity (118.5%) and higher averages for longer stays (11.3 over 24 hours; 4.6 over 48 hours).
Several other regions also reported elevated monthly averages, including Laurentides (126.7%) and Montérégie (114.2%).
A few regions showed sharp peaks in the month’s data even when their overall monthly average was lower. For example, Côte-Nord recorded a monthly maximum capacity value of 400, indicating at least one very high reported point somewhere in the region’s participating network during the month.
These comparisons reflect participating facilities in the dataset and the records they submitted during the period.
Data Coverage and Methodology
Date range analyzed: February 1–28, 2026 Geographic scope: Province of Québec (all listed provincial health regions) Facilities included: 115 participating emergency departments Total records analyzed: 76,642 reported records
Completeness within the reporting dataset:
- 16 of 17 Québec health regions had participating facilities with reported records during the month.
How averages were calculated: Provincial averages were computed as a record-weighted mean across regional summaries, meaning regions contributing more reported records carried proportionally more weight in the provincial result.
What is included:
- Reported ER capacity
- Reported counts of patients over 24 hours
- Reported counts of patients over 48 hours
Month-over-Month and Year-over-Year Comparison
Using the same record-weighted methodology and regional coverage, provincial averages were calculated for January 1–31, 2026 and February 1–28, 2025.
January 2026 (province-wide):
- Average reported ER capacity: 94.6%
- Average patients over 24 hours: 6.57
- Average patients over 48 hours: 2.18
Compared with January 2026, February 2026’s provincial average capacity (88.3) was lower, as were the average counts of patients staying over 24 and 48 hours.
For historical context, February 1–28, 2025 provincial averages were calculated using the same record-weighted regional methodology.
February 2025 (province-wide):
- Average reported ER capacity: 96.6%
- Average patients over 24 hours: 6.64
- Average patients over 48 hours: 1.92
Compared with February 2025, February 2026’s provincial average capacity (88.3) was lower. The average number of patients staying over 24 hours also declined year-over-year, while the average over 48 hours was slightly lower than the prior February.
All comparisons reflect reported operational load only and are derived from regional summaries using record-weighted means. Differences may reflect reporting volume, participating-facility mix, and underlying operational pressures.
Reading This Responsibly
Capacity and length-of-stay counts describe reported operational load. They should not be interpreted as a direct indicator of safety, quality, or individual patient experience, and they do not capture factors such as staffing levels, acuity, or inpatient bed availability.
This analysis is descriptive and reflects reported operational metrics only. This summary is based on publicly reported emergency department data and is provided for informational purposes only.