STARS air ambulance (Photo: STARS, Facebook)

By Abby Zieverink

STARS Grande Prairie

New STARS H145 helicopter set to land in Grande Prairie within a few weeks

Mar 23, 2022 | 1:34 PM

The new STARS Airbus H145 helicopter will be arriving in Grande Prairie and serving northern Alberta and B.C. residents within the next few weeks.

Glenda Farnden, the Senior Municipal Liaison with STARS for Alberta and B.C., says they are very excited and grateful for the $1.5 million gift from Birchcliff Energy presented to them on Tuesday.

She explains that the donation helped push them past their fundraising goal to purchase a new H145 helicopter as part of the STARS fleet renewal campaign.

Farnden tells EverythingGP the BK117 helicopters currently in use in some markets have been transferring patients with STARS for over 36 years.

“But because they were no longer starting to make parts and with COVID and everything it was even more difficult to try and get parts and it really just forced our hand that we had to look at renewing the fleet,” she explained.

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Each Airbus H145 helicopter comes with a price tag of $13 million.

“We are very fortunate that federal, provincial, and municipal governments embrace having this fleet of H145s as they will be serving the next generation to come,” said Farnden.

With that, along with the “awe-inspiring support” from community members and corporate sectors, Farnden says the new helicopter will change the face for our local STARS base to continue to provide critical care.

STARS has flown hundreds of missions in the new helicopters since receiving its first H145 aircraft in 2019.

By Fall 2022, Farnden says 10 Airbus H145 helicopters will be serving in all of Western Canada.