File photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

KAMLOOPS CANCER CENTRE

Much like the politicians in Victoria, those in Kamloops split on potential cancer centre delays

Apr 10, 2025 | 4:29 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops cancer centre was back in the spotlight Wednesday (April 9) during health ministry budget estimates, with Kamloops-Centre MLA Peter Milobar questioning the minister’s plan and pointing out cost overruns at healthcare facilities across B.C.

“But if you are the Kamloops cancer centre, you better be held to the exact dollar figure or you are not going be approved. We can’t find any extra dollars for a cancer centre that is supposed to have a 30-to-40 year life span at least in it, to build it properly on the front end. We would rather have a 40-year recruitment problem in Kamloops instead. It’s not acceptable. It needs to change,” said Milobar.

“I think the member inaccurately references the amount of work that needs to happen in order to redesign a project and I don’t think the people of Kamloops and the surrounding area want to see delays in having that care come to them,” responded Health Minister Josie Osborne.

It’s the propsect of a multi-year delay to bring everything under one roof and one health authority, with a PET-CT scanner inside.

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Much like the legislature floor, the streets of Kamloops are also split.

“Do it right the first time. If people are already travelling for this kind of thing, taking a little more time so they don’t have to down the road does seem to the be the thing that makes sense. Don’t do it twice. Do it right.”

“I’ve heard that definitely everything would be better under one roof, so it sounds like it’s a plus. It’s just how long the delay is. If it’s too long, once again, I would let (the doctors) make the decision. But it sounds like the politicians are screwing us again.”

“If, for the scan, they are willing to go that far, in order for them to get treatment here now, that would make a difference. Because being closer to their hometown is huge and two years is a long time.”

The issue of lacking a PET-CT means cancer patients would still need to travel to Kelowna or Vancouver for a portion of the their care.

“I would point out that there are actually more people from the Kamloops area that go to Kelowna for PET-CT scans and Vancouver than for radiation treatments. Yet this new centre, brand new build, hasn’t even broke ground yet, it’s still at the drawing stage, cannot be accommodated with the changes to make it a modern cancer centre on par with everybody else,” said Milobar on the legislature floor.

“We clearly value this project, Mr. Chair. Despite all the economic uncertainty that we are experiencing and that members of the opposition bring up constantly in the house, this project is going ahead. This project is in the final phases of the procurement process and construction will start this summer,” stated Osborne.