Loading Is the ER Open Right Now?…
Whether the Fishermen's Memorial emergency department is open right now — read from Nova Scotia Health's live closure board, not just the posted hours — with the wait times at the departments you'd drive to instead.
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ER hours changed
Nova Scotia Health has posted a notice
The emergency department at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital is not open around the clock, and it closes at short notice when there aren't enough staff — about 870 hours of unplanned closures in 2025 alone. This page reads Nova Scotia Health's own live notice board before it shows you the posted hours, so a closure posted this afternoon shows up here rather than being contradicted by a timetable. Below that is how long people are waiting right now at the departments you'd drive to instead.
In a real emergency, call 911. Don't drive to a department that may be closed.
Right now · Sunday, 10:48 pm ADT
Hours at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital have changed — read the notice before you go
The posted schedule below does not apply today.
Fishermen's Memorial Hospital · Lunenburg, NS — Emergency Department
The Emergency Department at Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (noon) on the following dates:
August 23, 24, 26, 29, 30
The Emergency Department will be closed all day on:
August 25, 27, 28, 31
Virtual urgent care is available daily from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Without the notice, the posted schedule would say: Opens Monday at 7:30 am.
In an emergency
In a medical emergency, call 911 now. Do not drive to a department that may be closed.
South Shore Regional Hospital
Nova Scotia Health publishes an hourly estimate of how long people are waiting to see a doctor or nurse at the departments below. Nearest first — the shortest wait is not always the right choice once you count the drive.
| Emergency department | 2 am | 5 am | 8 am |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Shore Regional, Bridgewater | 7 hr 25 min | 5 hr 55 min | 3 hr 30 min |
| QEII Halifax Infirmary | 6 hr 55 min | 5 hr 5 min | 3 hr 35 min |
What these numbers are — and are not
Nova Scotia Health’s own words: these are the current average time between registering and seeing a doctor or nurse, they are approximate, and they are not guaranteed. Patients are seen by how sick they are, not by who arrived first — the most seriously ill are usually seen without delay. If you need help immediately, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department no matter what the estimate says.
Closed now · 8 am – 7 pm
For urgent but not life-threatening problems you can see a doctor or nurse practitioner by video — it runs even on days the emergency department is closed. Walk in during these hours; you cannot book ahead.
www.nshealth.ca/clinics-programs-and-services/virtual-urgent-care
Closure notices checked . Notices: Nova Scotia Health — service statuses, closures and cancellations
The hours in the table are the posted ones. They change at short notice — sometimes the same day — which is why the live notice board is read first and shown above them. The hospital page is the authority; confirm before you travel.
Closure notices checked . Wait times: Nova Scotia Health — ED Wait Times