Mar 21, 2025
Could AI improve public services in Quebec?
Artificial intelligence
GUEST EXPERT. It's no secret that our public services in Quebec are inefficient. Hours of waiting in emergency rooms, long waiting lists for a family doctor or a daycare spot, a shortage of teachers in schools and ever-increasing class sizes, traffic on the roads and outdated public transportation. In short, waiting and ever-more waiting. And our population is growing.
Imagine a Quebec where public services are more efficient, faster, and more personalized. Utopian, you say? AI could well be the key to this future. How could we transform the healthcare system, daycares, traffic, and public transit in Quebec?
The Healthcare System
The healthcare system is the sector that consumes the largest portion of the provincial budget. Yet, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, half of Quebecers admitted to the hospital through the emergency room in 2021–2022 waited more than 19.4 hours. As I write this, the stretcher occupancy rate across all emergency units in Quebec is at 124%. Even more concerning, around 20% of Quebecers don’t have a family doctor.
The Quebec government has implemented several strategies to address access to care issues. These include increasing the number of trained physicians, encouraging healthcare professionals to work in remote areas, and creating family medicine groups (FMGs). However, these measures alone are still not enough to meet the growing demand.
But what if artificial intelligence (AI) could help improve the situation? For instance, AI could analyze medical records to identify high-risk patients and prioritize their care, helping reduce wait times. Medical chatbots could provide basic health advice and guide patients to the appropriate services, freeing up doctors’ time for more complex cases. AI systems could also streamline appointment scheduling and hospital resource management, leading to better patient distribution, shorter wait times, and more efficient use of infrastructure.
The CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal is already using the AlayaCare platform to optimize home care service routes. The results have been promising. According to the company, the CIUSSS increased the number of home care recipients by 25%, interventions by 18%, and treatment hours by 20%.
Pretty compelling, right? And those are just a few ideas that came to mind after thinking about it for a minute. Imagine what our healthcare system could achieve if AI were fully integrated into its operations. No more frustratingly long waits or month-long delays just to see a doctor!
Daycares
The challenge of finding a daycare spot is a major issue in Quebec. According to a 2023 survey by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, around 55,000 children were on a waitlist for daycare. Among dissatisfied parents, the top reasons cited were a lack of available spaces (89%), poor follow-up (59%), and cost (30%).
The Quebec government has introduced several strategies to address this issue, including creating new daycare spots, increasing subsidies, and launching initiatives to attract and retain early childhood educators. Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain, and many parents continue to invest an enormous amount of time trying to find suitable childcare solutions.
But what if AI could transform the way childcare enrollment works? Imagine AI-driven systems optimizing daycare placements based on location and the child’s age, ensuring faster and more efficient allocation of available spots. AI could also help forecast future staffing and resource needs, allowing for better long-term planning. These are just a few ideas that quickly come to mind.
The Ministry of Families has already taken a step in this direction by developing a new centralized registration system for daycare services. This platform aims to better address the urgent needs of parents returning to work by using algorithms that prioritize children based on their desired start date instead of their registration date. The goal: to maximize the use of available spots. Let’s hope innovation continues along this path!
By integrating AI into the childcare system, Quebec could not only improve access but also anticipate future demand and plan accordingly. Imagine a future where every child has access to daycare from birth—and where there are enough educators to support families for the next twenty years!
Transportation
According to Quebec’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, commute times during peak hours in Montreal have increased by 20% over the past five years. At the same time, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is facing a significant financial shortfall—despite receiving an additional $400 million in government subsidies. And to top it all off, intercity transportation has seen a dramatic decline, with 85% of service departures disappearing over the past 40 years.
The government has launched various strategies to tackle these challenges. One major initiative is the Ministry’s 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, which focuses on optimizing infrastructure investments and promoting public transit solutions. As part of this effort, the government is funding infrastructure projects like the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) to improve both roads and transit systems. However, the results of these initiatives have been slow to materialize—and the number of vehicles on the road continues to grow every year. The future of transportation in Quebec currently looks far from promising.
So, where could AI make a difference? AI-powered real-time traffic management systems could be used to optimize traffic lights and reduce congestion. In public transit, AI could improve scheduling and route planning based on real-time ridership data, making transit more efficient and appealing—potentially encouraging more people to choose buses and trains over their personal vehicles. Can you think of other possibilities?
By embracing AI in transportation management, Quebec could significantly cut commute times and offer smarter, more reliable public transit services.
The potential is enormous—and the benefits are within reach. We have the opportunity to build a more efficient, innovative, and livable Quebec. It’s time to adopt AI and reimagine our public services for the better.
So… what are we waiting for?
