Grand Manan Island residents have been left concerned about their access to adequate medical care in the wake of ongoing issues with the air ambulance service, which has been suspended since December 2022. In a recent interview with CHCO TV's Vicki Hogarth, Fundy-the Isles-Saint John West MLA Andrea Anderson Mason MLA acknowledged the challenges faced by the community and emphasized the need for a reliable and secure solution to the problem.

"There's been a great deal of work that has gone on behind the scenes in that the department has pulled together all options because we need to make sure that we have a solution that works for the residents, and that is going to be a secure. We can't be bouncing back and forth. We can't have interruption of service," Anderson-Mason said.

Anderson-Mason went on to highlight the importance of prioritizing the health and safety of residents, stating that it is absolutely necessary to have service on the island. "The number one priority is the health and safety of the residents, and it is absolutely necessary that we have service on the island," she said.

Anderson-Mason also expressed hope that a resolution would be found in the near future, following presentations to cabinet and ongoing discussions around potential solutions. "I suspect that we're going to hear - I feel like I've been saying this for a few weeks now -but we're going to hear a resolution in the next couple of weeks. I understand that cabinet has been presented with all the options," she said.

The MLA concluded the discussion of this topic by reiterating her commitment to securing on-island service as soon as possible. "Number one priority for me is that we need on island service, and we need it now. We needed it two months ago," she said.