Héma-Québec vows to reschedule and apologizes to 80 donors who were turned away.
Héma-Québec was forced to cancel a blood drive at St. Philip’s Anglican Church in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on Monday after a construction trailer blocked access to the site, preventing the organization from transporting essential equipment.
All 80 appointments scheduled at the site, located at Sherbrooke Street and Connaught Avenue, were cancelled between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., confirmed Patrice Lavoie, spokesperson for Héma-Québec.
“A few hours before the start of the blood drive, we realized that a construction trailer was blocking access to the church, preventing our truck from safely transporting all the necessary equipment, chairs, etc.,” Lavoie said over text message.
Héma-Québec, the non-profit managing Quebec’s blood supply and providing biological products to hospitals, has 1,900 employees and over 200,000 active donors, according to its website. Lavoire said the organization operates daily blood drives at 11 centres across Quebec, with additional mobile drives held at various locations annually or more frequently. The drive at St. Philip’s Anglican Church was planned as a one-off drive.
On Monday, however, Héma-Québec had no option but to cancel as there was no nearby alternative location or safe access point for unloading equipment.
Lavoie said that all affected donors were promptly notified and expressed regret, describing the situation as “an unfortunate circumstance beyond Héma-Québec’s control.”
While the organization intends to reschedule, a new date has not been set.
Lavoie noted that planning blood drives requires several weeks of preparation, and Héma-Québec will review logistics before determining if the church remains viable for a future drive.