Medical Repatriation From Banff and the Canadian Rockies
Portage travels with visitors and seasonal workers who become ill or injured in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, or Jasper, home to another province or country.
Last updated October 11, 2026
Portage arranges medical repatriation from the Canadian Rockies for visitors and workers who were hospitalized in the mountains. Our crews are based in Calgary and Edmonton, the two cities closest to Banff and Jasper. A Medical Escort or Travel Companion travels with the patient from the hospital, by road and commercial flight, to their home province or country.
Who needs help getting home from the Rockies?
More than four million people visit Banff National Park each year (CBC News), and thousands more come to work for the season. Some are injured or become ill and need support to get home.
Visitors from overseas. An international visitor recovering from a skiing or hiking injury may need a Medical Escort on the long flight home.
Visitors from other provinces. A Canadian traveller may need to get home after a hospital stay, or to a hospital closer to home.
Seasonal workers. People working a season in the mountain towns sometimes need to return to their home province or country after an illness or injury.
Older travellers. An older adult on a tour or family holiday may need a Travel Companion for the trip home after a fall.
Banff Mineral Springs Hospital, operated by Covenant Health, has a 24-hour emergency department and serves Banff, Lake Louise, and visitors from around the world. Canmore General Hospital serves Canmore and Kananaskis Country, and the Seton–Jasper Healthcare Centre serves Jasper. Patients needing more specialized care are often transferred to Calgary or Edmonton.
With the patient's consent, your Case Coordinator speaks with the treating team at the hospital caring for the patient, and the journey home starts there.
Where are patients treated in the Canadian Rockies?
Portage's crews are based in Calgary, about an hour and a half by road from Banff, and in Edmonton, about four hours from Jasper. Portage was founded by Magni Magnason, a flight paramedic with more than 20 years of repatriations in Canada and around the world.
We can sometimes assess a patient in person in Banff, Canmore, or Jasper before the flight, when that's warranted.
Our Medical Escorts are currently Registered Nurses and Advanced Care Paramedics.
There is no commercial airport in the mountains, so we arrange the road trip to Calgary International Airport (YYC) or Edmonton International Airport (YEG), including an ambulance when the patient needs one.
Where are patients treated in the Canadian Rockies?
Medical Escort or Travel Companion?
Travel Companion
An experienced caregiver who helps with mobility, personal care and connections, for example for someone recovering well after a fracture.
Medical Escort
Most patients leaving hospital in the Rockies travel with a Medical Escort, who gives medications and monitors their condition on the trip.
Questions about getting home from the Rockies
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Yes. We plan the trip on commercial flights from Calgary or Edmonton, arrange the airline's medical clearance, and a Medical Escort or Travel Companion travels with the patient to their home or a hospital expecting them. Portage has supported travel between Canada and countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
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Yes. Your Case Coordinator becomes the family's contact in Alberta, speaking with the treating team, planning the journey, and updating the family at agreed points until the patient arrives.
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Many travel insurance policies include medical repatriation, and the insurer usually approves the plan first. We can work with the insurer or its assistance company directly. Check the policy, or ask us on the first call.
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Call us and we will provide a quote. We can also advise whether the patient can travel on a commercial airline with a Medical Escort or Travel Companion, which is much more cost-effective than an air ambulance.
Let’s plan the journey
Tell us about the traveller and the trip. We'll recommend the level of support, plan the journey, and have a Travel Companion or Medical Escort ready to go.
+1 (403) 536-9446