Sherwood Park is home to Refinery Row — Canada's largest concentration of petrochemical facilities. Shift workers, plant operators, and tradespeople need documentation fast. MedLetter delivers within 6 hours.
If you live or work in Sherwood Park and need a sick note for your employer, you have several options — but not all of them are practical when you are actually unwell. Walk-in clinics across Sherwood Park routinely have wait times of 2-3 hrs, and many close by 5pm or are not open on weekends. For shift workers, gig workers, and anyone without a family doctor, getting a simple piece of documentation can mean losing an entire day of wages on top of already feeling sick.
MedLetter is an online medical documentation service that connects Sherwood Park residents with CPSA-registered physicians who can review your situation and issue official sick notes, return-to-work letters, stress leave documentation, and workplace accommodation letters — all delivered by email, typically within 2 to 6 hours of submission. There is no clinic visit, no waiting room, and no need to have a family doctor. The entire process is completed from your phone or computer.
Every document issued through MedLetter is reviewed and signed by a physician registered with the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA). This means your employer, HR department, insurance provider, or academic institution must accept it — there is no legal distinction between a note issued after a virtual consultation and one issued after an in-person visit, provided the physician determines it is clinically appropriate.
The process takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. You do not need to schedule an appointment, create an account, or provide your health card number.
Fill out a secure online form describing your symptoms, the dates you were or will be absent from work, and your employer's name. You will also provide your full name, date of birth, and email address where the note should be delivered. The form takes most people under 5 minutes.
A CPSA-registered physician reviews your submission to determine whether medical documentation is clinically appropriate for your situation. This is not an automated process — a real physician reads your information and makes a clinical judgment. If additional information is needed, the physician may reach out by phone or email.
Once approved, your signed sick note is delivered as a PDF to the email address you provided. Most notes are delivered within 2 to 4 hours for submissions received before 2pm. You can forward it directly to your employer, HR department, or upload it to your company's absence management system.
Sherwood Park's walk-in clinics serve 100,000+ Strathcona County residents plus Refinery Row workers. Many shifts start at 5-6am. MedLetter delivers same-day for all submissions before 2pm MST.
This matters because most employers expect documentation on the day you call in sick, or at the very latest, on your first day back. If you call in sick on Monday morning and cannot get a clinic appointment until Wednesday, you may face disciplinary action or have your absence recorded as unexcused. MedLetter eliminates this gap by delivering documentation the same day you submit your request, so you can forward it to your manager or HR before your next scheduled shift.
Delivery timeline: Before 2pm MST: same day (typically 2-4 hours). After 2pm: by 9am next business day.
Alberta's Employment Standards Code allows employers to request 'reasonable evidence' of illness. Sherwood Park's economy is dominated by petrochemical operations (Suncor Strathcona Refinery, Shell Scotford, Dow Chemical, Inter Pipeline) and the tradespeople who maintain them. Safety-sensitive roles require medical clearance. Turnaround workers need documentation before returning to site.
It is important to understand that the law and your employer's policy are two different things. Even if the Alberta Employment Standards Code does not require a sick note for your specific situation, your employer may still have an internal policy that does. Refusing to provide documentation when your employer's policy requires it — even if the law does not mandate it — can result in the absence being recorded as unauthorized. MedLetter helps you avoid this conflict by providing documentation quickly and affordably, regardless of whether it is legally required or simply expected.
Reference: Alberta Employment Standards Code, Section 53.97
MedLetter serves workers across every industry in Sherwood Park. The common thread is that these are people who cannot afford to spend half a day in a walk-in clinic waiting room when they are already dealing with illness, injury, or a medical situation that requires time away from work.
A process operator at the Suncor Strathcona Refinery who develops symptoms before a 12-hour night shift. Safety-sensitive role requires documentation before returning to the control room.
A boilermaker working a turnaround at Shell Scotford who wakes up sick. His contractor requires documentation before he can return to the safety-sensitive work site.
A lab technician at Dow Chemical's Fort Saskatchewan facility who develops a rash. Chemical exposure protocols require medical documentation.
A pipeline integrity technician at Inter Pipeline's Heartland complex who needs documentation for a missed shift.
A truck driver hauling dangerous goods along Refinery Row who develops symptoms. TDG regulations require medical fitness documentation.
Strathcona County has grown significantly but physician recruitment has not kept pace. Many refinery workers who relocated for jobs have been unable to find a local GP. MedLetter requires no family doctor, no referral, and no clinic registration.
For people without a family doctor, getting a sick note traditionally means going to a walk-in clinic and waiting for hours alongside people with more complex medical needs. This is not only inconvenient — it is also a public health concern, as you may be exposing others to your illness or exposing yourself to theirs while immunocompromised. MedLetter provides an alternative that does not require you to have an existing relationship with a physician, a provincial health card, or a clinic registration.
Strathcona County's rapid growth has outpaced primary care capacity
Sherwood Park's walk-in clinics serve a large population including Refinery Row workers. Options are limited.
The table below compares your options for getting a sick note in Sherwood Park. Walk-in clinic wait times are based on community-reported averages and may vary by time of day, day of week, and season.
| Clinic | Address | Wait Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strathcona Community Hospital ER | 8440 112 St | 3-6 hours | Community hospital. Not for sick notes. |
| Sherwood Park Walk-In | 222 Baseline Rd | 2-3 hours | Central. Limited evening hours. |
| MedLetter (Online) | From your home | 0 min wait | CPSA physician review. Delivered by email. $49 flat. |
The cost of a sick note in Sherwood Park depends on where you get it. Walk-in clinics typically charge between $20 and $50 for a sick note, but this does not account for the hidden costs: 2 to 4 hours of lost wages while you wait, transportation costs to get to the clinic, and the physical toll of sitting in a waiting room while you are sick. For someone earning $25/hour, a 3-hour clinic wait represents $75 in lost wages on top of the $30 clinic fee — making the true cost over $100.
MedLetter charges a flat fee of $49 for a standard sick note with same-day delivery. There are no hidden fees, no consultation charges, and no follow-up costs. You submit your information from home, and the note arrives in your email. When you factor in the time saved and the wages you do not lose, MedLetter is often the most affordable option — especially for shift workers, hourly employees, and anyone who cannot afford to take half a day off work just to get a piece of paper.
Yes. Every sick note issued through MedLetter is signed by a physician registered with the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA). Under Alberta law, there is no distinction between medical documentation issued after a virtual consultation and documentation issued after an in-person visit. Your employer cannot refuse a legitimate sick note solely because it was obtained online.
MedLetter notes include the physician's name, CPSA registration number, clinic information, the dates of your absence, and a professional attestation that you were assessed and that time away from work is medically appropriate. This is the same information that would appear on a note from any walk-in clinic or family doctor's office in Sherwood Park.
Below are the most common questions we receive from Sherwood Park residents about getting a sick note online.
Submit a secure intake form on MedLetter. A CPSA-registered physician delivers your signed sick note by email within 6 hours.
Yes. Suncor, Shell, Dow, and all Alberta employers accept documentation from CPSA-registered physicians.
Yes. MedLetter delivers within 6 hours. Submit before 2pm MST for same-day delivery.
Yes. MedLetter requires no family doctor or referral.