SASKATOON — A celebration of four decades of a vision to reality operation that began in 1985, which came to Saskatchewan in 2012. Thanks to those visionaries, the province’s residents are reassured of emergency medical assistance wherever they are.
The team at the Saskatoon STARS base met with guests Oct. 17 welcoming them to an open house to showcase their equipment, their amazing team of pilots and medical staff and all that they have done and can do for patients in need.
Knowing that the STARS team are always on standby, guests at the 4 p.m. session got to experience first hand a dispatch that involved moving the helicopter out of the hanger and assembling the team to respond, which takes eight minutes of fine-tuned procedure from dispatch to flying out to the mission.
The STARS website affirms, “Over the years, STARS has evolved significantly. We’ve grown from a modest beginning to a sophisticated network of highly skilled professionals and advanced technology. In the air, on the ground, or virtually, we’ve always been committed to providing critical care, anywhere, to patients who need us.”
Did you know that:
- In 2003, STARS began using night vision goggles, becoming the first civilian operator in Canada to use NVG’s
- in 2013, Regina STARS base became the first air medical service in Canada to stock blood to be used for transfusions on air medical missions
- In 2020, Air Medical Crew were trained to use ultrasound enabling them to quickly assess patients and put them on the correct treatment path.
STARS launched operations in Saskatchewan in 2012 with BK117 helicopters based at the Regina International Airport and the Saskatoon International Airport, flying 217 missions in 2012.
An open house held Oct. 17 at the hangar near Saskatoon airport saw many people come to see either how their support translates into STARS work, revisit the place that helped a family member or friend or just learn more about the Saskatchewan branch of STARS.
Since 1985, STARS has flown more than 63,000 missions across Western Canada. 3,694 missions were carried out from six bases in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba in the 2024-25 fiscal year. 921 of those missions were in Saskatchewan. The open house showcased that there are 3,694 yearly missions flown in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba averaging 10 daily missions.
STARS requires $12.2M in approximate annual cost per base and are thankful for 36,571 annual donors. Funding sources come from government contributions, other industry services and net fundraising.
After four decades in operation, STARS operates six full time air medical bases – its growth powered by life-saving innovation and the unwavering support of allies, partners and communities across Western Canada.
Dr. John Froh was named STARS’ fourth President and CEO in 2025 after serving as Chief Medical Officer since 2022. Prior to that Dr. Froh was Chief Medical Officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
The STARS CEO says, “I played a number of roles. When this base opened, I was the Medical Director and I was Physician in charge of medical care from this base. I’m responsible for entire organization as CEO. I don’t play in active role in dispatch centre but play a more active role in leadership and directing the organization.”
Amazing was the word to describe the 40th anniversary of STARS being celebrated, “Grassroots is how it all started and now we have six bases across three provinces flying 63,000 missions. It’s amazing.”
Dr. Froh adds, “We are dependant on community support and its one of the reasons STARS is successful.”
“Some patients come back and talk to us; I have met so many and every one of those stories is affirmation that what we are doing is the right thing. Really speaks to a lot of people that have been helped by STARS.”
Tracy Steel, flight nurse, tells SaskToday when asked if they ever find out how their patients made out, “Some of us work in the hospital or physicians, that’s kind of the only real way to find out because it’s patient privacy.”
“Once we hand over the patient, we don’t get to find out. So, unless somehow through someone saying ‘I saw your patient and they’re doing well’. Or the patient comes back, or family reaches out and says, ‘Hey you transported my mom or my brother’, then we would know that way.”
Asked if this was hard, Steel responds, “I would say we’re always looking for closure for sure. I think naturally everyone wants to know how they made out so you’re invested for sure. But again, we understand that once we hand over care, we’re not taking care of them anymore.”
STARS said they were happy to open their doors to the public and supporters through the open house anniversary events at their six bases. It gives guests an opportunity to get a little closer to their operation and learn about the four-decade milestone.
“Our history and legacy are important. There are stories, people, and events that have shaped us,” said Meagin Huisman, volunteer and VIP coordinator and lead on the 40th anniversary open houses. “Preserving and celebrating our history helps us understand what we stand for and how far we have come. In hosting these events, we are meeting so many amazing people, learning more and more about our history, while showcasing to our allies how we are continuing to build towards the future.”
