The maternity unit at White Rock’s Peace Arch Hospital will temporarily turn away expectant parents once again this weekend.

From Thursday, March 12, at 8 a.m. until Wednesday, March 18, at 8 a.m., patients will be diverted to other care facilities.

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It will mark the fifth such closure at Peace Arch Hospital this year.

Fraser Health says the diversions are due to an ongoing shortage of OBGYNs after “unexpected departures.”

The health authority has been warning of potential shortages at both Ridge Meadows and Peach Arch hospitals since early December 2025.

The hospital in Maple Ridge was temporarily closed over the same four-day stretch last weekend.

The timing of future diversions is “dynamic,” Fraser Health says, and may be announced on short notice in reaction to unexpected absences or doctors calling in sick.

“If you are in labour or have a pregnancy concern, please call the Maternity Unit first. Our staff will direct you to the appropriate hospital for care,” said the health authority in a post to social media.