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Winnipeg Free Press

Nurse wants paramedics stationed at folk fest in wake of asthma attack

A Winnipeg Folk Festival attendee is calling for better on-site medical services after she had a life-threatening asthma attack during the outdoor event at Birds Hill Provincial Park last week. 'I almost died; I'm very thankful the ambulance arrived when it did,' Freya Martin said, fighting back tears. Martin, a Winnipeg intensive care unit nurse, was looking forward to enjoying the opening night of the festival with her family on July 10 when she started feeling a familiar tightness in her lungs. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS The festival reported a record-breaking attendance of more than 79,000 people at the four-day event, with a daily front-of-house capacity of roughly 15,000 people. A lifelong asthma sufferer, she felt no symptoms prior to around 8 p.m. and suspects the attack was triggered by poor air quality owing to wildfire smoke, which had begun to worsen overnight Thursday and prompted Environment Canada to issue air quality warnings for Manitoba. Martin used her Ventolin inhaler but felt no relief and was escorted to the first aid tent, where she recalls being assessed by volunteers but was alarmed to learn there was no supplemental oxygen or advanced respiratory support available. She lost consciousness before an ambulance arrived and woke up at Selkirk Regional Health Centre, located roughly 25 kilometres north of the park. Martin learned her oxygen saturation levels had dropped dangerously low by the time paramedics arrived, reportedly 25 minutes after 911 was called. 'I'm still shocked at the fact they don't have an ambulance at least on the perimeter of the park for a festival of this calibre,' said the avid folk fester, who's been attending for the past 15 years. 'I thought that if I was ever having an emergency that I would be able to receive timely care at folk fest.' The festival reported a record-breaking attendance of more than 79,000 people at the four-day event, with a daily front-of-house capacity of roughly 15,000 people. There were two first aid tents stationed at the festival site and campground staffed by a volunteer crew of medical professionals and skilled first aiders, the organization's website says. The festival offers standard first aid care, said festival executive director Valerie Shantz via email — a certification that includes training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and minor injury care. 'While first aid is generally sufficient for the types of incidents we see at folk fest, when patrons need a higher level of medical care, we call in local EMS services to provide care,' Shantz said, adding oxygen is beyond the scope of standard first aid. Freya Martin with her daughter at a past folk festival. (Supplied) When asked this week if there were any medical emergencies that required an ambulance, festival staff didn't disclose the July 10 EMS visit involving Martin. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. The incident has left Martin shaken. It took a week to physically recover from the asthma attack and she's since reached out to the festival with her concerns. 'I feel like I have to do my due diligence and follow up and see if it's possible to make changes for next time. I would love to go to folk fest (again) but I'm obviously feeling sort of traumatized,' Martin said. She hopes the festival will review its emergency medical policies, specifically for high-acuity cases, prior to the 2026 event. She hopes supplemental oxygen and paramedics will be available at the festival in the future. Shantz said the organization reviews all incident reports annually 'to assess whether adjustments to our practices are needed. This will occur this year as well.' Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.