B.C.’s health minister says Kamloops remains a part of the province’s ten year cancer plan, despite there being no mention of a cancer care centre for the city in last week’s provincial budget.

Speaking on NL Newsday, Adrian Dix says people in Kamloops – like many other communities – needs cancer care close to home given the aging population in the province.

“As cancer becomes more prevalent as we live longer, I think its important that there care be shared around the province,” Dix said. “That doesn’t mean that people will get everything that they need in Kamloops but we would like to see many of the procedures that people have to travel for be available in people’s communities.”

“Our survival rates are going up significantly, so more people are living with cancer, one. And two, life expectancy after 65 is increasing and that means, more of us are going to have cancer and have to live with cancer,” he added.

“So the care has to be not just the major interventions, but the quality of care of treating cancer as it is for a large number of people as a chronic disease.”

Both Kamloops BC Liberal MLAs told NL News they were disappointed that there was no mention of a Cancer Centre in Kamloops in the budget.

“Its hard not to look at this and realize that the people of Kamloops are being betrayed yet again by the NDP when it comes to a commitment around putting a cancer centre, a much needed cancer centre, in our community,” Todd Stone said on NL Newsday.

On the campaign trail in October, Premier John Horgan said a new cancer care clinic will be up and running in Kamloops within four years, if he was reelected.

“I’m taking a positive approach. This is something that hasn’t been done by previous governments, by that I mean not just the previous Liberal government, but the previous NDP government prior to that,” Dix said.

“I think its something that the time has come and I think rather than make it a political football, I’m hopeful that everyone is going to rally around this idea and that we’ll see this done.”

The BC Liberals also promised improved cancer care in Kamloops, if elected in last October election. Those commitments pleased Mayor Ken Christian, who told NL News the city now wants to see results.