BC’s Finance Minister is insistent that Kamloops will be getting its long-awaited cancer care center.

As part of a post-budget media blitz, Finance Minister Katrine Conroy tells NL News her government’s pledge for a Cancer Care Center in Kamloops is going to be fulfilled.

“Your cancer care center is…it’s currently in the concept planning phase,” notes Conroy.  “So the work is underway, and we’re looking forward to sharing more details about the timelines and the services as that progresses, but you have to go through the concept planning phase.”

While there’s no word on how long the planning process may take, Conroy — a New Democrat MLA for Kootenay West since 2005 — does argue her government is taking steps to make life easier for cancer patients in the Kamloops region by now allowing them, and everyone else, to be reimbursed for their travel expenses.

“Until the cancer center is built in Kamloops — which it will be — people can get refunded for the travel costs,” notes Conroy.  “You and I know, we live in the Interior, that that can add up.”

Currently cancer patients in Kamloops have to travel to Kelowna to seek specialized treatments.

It’s estimated that close to half of those receiving treatment in the Kelowna cancer care facilities are from the Kamloops region.

Ahead of the budget, the BC government put out a 10-year, 440-million dollar plan to expand cancer care in this province.

The Kamloops cancer care center was not included as a line-item in that plan, much to the frustration of Kamloops North-Thompson MLA and opposition Finance critic Peter Milobar.

“But here we are, three years later after a commitment where it should be open on year four, and we are still in the concept planning with no defined area it is going to go in, no defined scope, defined cost, who will pay for it or not,” said Milobar on Radio NL following the release of the cancer care expansion plan by Premier David Eby.  “It is disappointing, to say the least.”

The idea of a Kamloops Cancer Care Center was first floated as an election promise by then Premier John Horgan as part of a campaign whistle-stop in the city in 2020.