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CTAQ: the Quebec City paramedics' co-operative, its territory, its jobs

The Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers du Québec employs paramedics in Capitale-Nationale and Saguenay: its zones, the legal framework and where to apply.

October 10, 2026 · Lire en français

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The CTAQ is the Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers du Québec (the Quebec paramedics' co-operative). It offers paramedic jobs in Quebec City, elsewhere in Capitale-Nationale and in Saguenay. This profile explains what it is, where it holds a contract and how to apply. It applies to women and men alike. It is neither an advertisement nor a recommendation.

What the CTAQ is

The full name appears at the bottom of its website: "CTAQ - Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers du Québec". It is also the corporate name listed in the table from Santé Québec. Its head office is in Quebec City, on rue des Tournelles, according to its website.

On its La coopération page, the CTAQ presents itself as a "workers' co-operative". It writes that it provides a paramedic service to the public and jobs to its members. It says it is a member of the Fédération des coopératives de paramédics du Québec.

What a worker co-operative is

Section 222 of the Cooperatives Act (chapter C-67.2), up to date as of August 12, 2026, defines the worker co-operative. It brings together only natural persons who associate, as workers, to operate an enterprise, and its object is to provide work to its members and auxiliary members.

Section 224.2 of the same Act allows the co-operative to subject any worker to a probation period of no more than 250 working days. During this probation, the worker is an auxiliary member.

The CTAQ's zones according to Santé Québec

On September 14, 2026, in response to access request 26-SQ-0001-412, Santé Québec released a table of ambulance companies and co-operatives with their zones. The Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers du Québec appears on seven lines, in two health regions.

Health region	Zone listed in the table	Other permit holder listed for the same zone
02 Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean	02-240 Saguenay	Ambulance Chicoutimi inc.
03 Capitale-Nationale	03-301 Saint-Siméon	None
03 Capitale-Nationale	03-311 Saint-Marc-des-Carrières	None
03 Capitale-Nationale	03-342 L'Étape	None
03 Capitale-Nationale	03-343 Saint-Bernard-de-L'Ile-aux-Coudres	None
03 Capitale-Nationale	03-350 Québec	Dessercom inc.
03 Capitale-Nationale	03-351 La Malbaie-Baie-Saint-Paul	None

Source: Santé Québec, document attached to the September 14, 2026 response, page 5 for the CTAQ, pages 5 and 6 for the other permit holders. Zone names are those used in the table.

The table gives the name of the zone, not the list of municipalities it covers. In its letter, Santé Québec refers to its map of ambulance zones and states that a review of this map is under way, with zone limits remaining unchanged.

For its part, the CTAQ names five sectors on its website: Québec, Portneuf, Charlevoix, Saguenay and the Réserve faunique des Laurentides.

The permit and the contract

The Act respecting pre-hospital emergency services (chapter S-6.2), up to date as of August 12, 2026, governs all ambulance services, co-operatives included. Its section 46 sets two conditions to operate one:

hold an operating permit issued by Santé Québec or by a regional body
have entered into the section 9 service contract with it

Section 9 sets the term of this contract at five years. The permit holder undertakes to provide the agreed services, according to the authorized schedules.

Under section 47, the permit may be issued to a natural person or a legal person. It states the region or zone where the holder is authorized to operate its service "mainly but not exclusively", and the number of ambulances it may use. Section 51 issues it for a maximum period of 48 months ending on a March 31.

This text summarizes laws and official pages. It is neither legal advice nor union advice.

The conditions to get hired

The CTAQ jobs page lists no requirements. Those of the law apply at every employer. Section 63 of the Act respecting pre-hospital emergency services sets two to work as a paramedic:

have completed the recognized initial college training and passed the related exam, or hold training or professional recognition recognized by the national medical director
be listed in the national workforce registry kept by Santé Québec and have obtained a paramedic status card

Section 63 does not mention the driver's licence. Section 28.4 of the Regulation respecting licences, up to date as of June 1, 2026, does: Class 4A authorizes driving an emergency vehicle. Our article on the Class 4A licence explains how to get it.

Where to apply

Job postings are at ctaq.com/emplois. On October 10, 2026, the page shows a "Technicien.ne ambulancier.ère paramédic" (paramedic) position for its five sectors. You apply through an online form and attach your resumé.

Salary

The CTAQ shows no wage rate on its jobs page. The Government of Canada's Job Bank does not publish wages by employer. For paramedical occupations (NOC 32102), it gives hourly wages updated on November 19, 2025.

Area	Low	Median	High
Province of Quebec	$25.56	$35.00	$40.00
Capitale-Nationale region	$28.88	$37.19	$44.50
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region	$25.56	$35.00	$40.00

Source: Job Bank, hourly wages by region, updated on November 19, 2025. These amounts apply to all employers in the area, not to the CTAQ in particular.

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Frequently asked questions

Does the RAMQ reimburse ambulance fees?

No. The Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ, Quebec's health insurance board) says so in its FAQ: "We do not cover the costs of ambulance transportation." It refers to the Québec.ca page on the cost of transportation and on exemption measures. Our article on the price of an ambulance details the bill.

What is a paramedic's salary in Quebec in 2026?

The most recent official figure is the Job Bank median wage: $35.00 an hour in Quebec, with a low wage of $25.56 and a high wage of $40.00. It was updated on November 19, 2025. In the Capitale-Nationale region, the median is $37.19. Our article on paramedic salary gives the known pay scales.

How do you pay an ambulance bill online?

You pay the ambulance service that sent the bill. For a CTAQ bill, its website has a Payer ma facture (pay my bill) page with an online payment form. It asks for the bill number, shown at the top right of the bill, and the amount. For another service, see the instructions on your bill.

What is the CTAQ?

It is the Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers du Québec, a workers' co-operative with its head office in Quebec City. It provides an ambulance service and work to its members, who are paramedics. The table released by Santé Québec on September 14, 2026 lists it for seven zones: six in Capitale-Nationale and the Saguenay zone.

What are the ambulance companies in Quebec?

In Montreal and Laval, the service is provided by Urgences-santé (the ambulance service for Montreal and Laval), a public body. Elsewhere, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS), Quebec's health ministry, counts 72 operating permit holders in 16 of the 18 health regions, according to its 2024-2033 workforce planning: public, co-operative or private services. The Santé Québec table of September 14, 2026 names them zone by zone, including the CTAQ, the CETAM, Dessercom inc. and Les services préhospitaliers Paraxion inc. Our article on paramedic jobs explains how to read this table.

How do you become a paramedic in Quebec?

The path has four steps: the DEC in Pre-Hospital Emergency Care (181.A1), the Class 4A driver's licence, the national clinical integration program and listing in the national registry. The DEC takes about 36 months according to the Inforoute FPT. Enrolling in the integration program requires a job offer signed by an employer, such as the CTAQ, and dated less than six months earlier. Our article Becoming a paramedic follows these steps one by one.