Minister Dix announcing the Cancer Centre, May 2023 (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

CANCER CARE

Kamloops cancer centre business case complete, details limited

Jan 10, 2024 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — “Business plan is completed for Kamloops and Nanaimo.”

In a surprise announcement on Wednesday (Jan. 10), B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix has confirmed the business case for Kamloops, but didn’t divulge more when pressed.

“I’m going to look forward to telling you all the details of the business plan when I get up to Kamloops, which should be soon. But the business plan is completed and it was completed exactly in the time frame that we said it would be completed,” stated Dix during a press conference in Vancouver.

The news that not only was the plan completed, but that it has been since the before the end of 2023 left Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar scratching his head.

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“Actually give us some detail. What is the size? What is the scope? And more importantly, what is the timeline when we will actually see a patient in it? Just telling us a business plan is done is not good enough,” Milobar told CFJC Today.

While Dix didn’t say exactly when he’ll be in Kamloops to give the details of the plan, Milobar will be watching the upcoming provincial budget.

“Any project over $50 million has to be laid out in detail in the budget, and also the year — it’s a three-year budget document. We are going to find out, is it actually slated to break ground next year and is there actually real money in the budget or is it like the Surrey Hospital, where this government talked about it for three years before there was any money put in the budget?” questioned Milobar.

It’s those details that chair of the Thompson Regional Hospital District Mike O’Reilly is also waiting for, calling the announcement a complete surprise to him.

“Now knowing that it is done, it’s… ‘Why aren’t we being told?’ The business case is sitting there — why isn’t it being announced and why aren’t the details being told. And that is something we will have to push on and work on,” said O’Reilly.

The hospital board has invested $75,000 for an advocacy campaign for the promised centre, looking to ensure Kamloops doesn’t slip down the priority list.

“[Dix] was asked the question, ‘Is it going to be Nanaimo or Kamloops first?’ His answer back was, ‘Why not both at the same time?’ You have this conflicting potential starts on who is going to go first or not at the same time. We go back to — the details are going to be incredibly important throughout the business case,” added O’Reilly.

While large capital projects can sometimes be shelved during election years, and following changes in power, Milobar stated that won’t be happening if a BC United government is elected this fall.

“We are fully committed on this. We have assurances from our leader Kevin Falcon that not only will this project still be proceeding, it will be fast-tracked and it will be seeing patients years ahead of what the NDP ‘never ever plan’ seems to be,” said Milobar.

It’s unclear if the cancer centre is still on track to open to patients in 2027 as outlined by Minister Dix last year.