Quebec emergency departments tend to be less overwhelmed during the summer, but that does not mean emergency physicians get a break. A particularly busy summerQuebec emergency departments have seen stretcher occupancy rates hover around 115 per cent in recent days. In Montreal, she describes stretcher occupancy levels as “extreme” this summer. Occupancy rates can be misleadingSome Quebec hospitals report emergency department occupancy rates below 50 per cent, but Couture says those numbers need to be viewed with caution. In rural areas, hospitals generally perform fewer major surgeries and have fewer inpatient teams, which can contribute to lower emergency department occupancy rates.