do canadian hospitals not send foreigners a bill?
it seems like this sort of issue would've come up long before now.
It may have changed, but it used to be standard not to.
I remember a news article from about 15 years ago where doctors at a Vancouver hospital were unhappy about it. Not because they were treating the sick traveler for free, but because some stupid regulation meant that he had to remain in an ER bed rather than moving him to a normal hospital bed and freeing the space for anyone else who might need it.
That said, as an American in Alberta I can confirm for sure that they'll make you pay up front here too.
Cost out of pocket was much, much lower than it would be in the US, but certainly not trivial.
Source: Live in BC, foreign relatives had medical treatment while visiting.