It is just day two of the Union of BC Municipalities convention in Victoria and Kamloops Councillor Mike O’Reilly says he has had some good discussions. He says he met with officials from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Tourism to discuss key priorities for his city.
A major focus of his discussions was the urgent need for expanded healthcare infrastructure, particularly at the upcoming Kamloops Cancer Centre. Councillor O’Reilly emphasized the critical importance of acquiring a PET-CT scanner to reduce lengthy wait times that currently stretch between eight and ten weeks.
The PET-CT scanner, regarded as a state-of-the-art diagnostic tool crucial in cancer care, was initially promised by Health Minister Adrian Dix as part of the new Kamloops Cancer Centre. However, this commitment was later retracted when the approved business case excluded the scanner from the facility. This reversal has drawn criticism from local MLAs, who stress the importance of the technology for timely and effective diagnosis.
“While the province notes that around 900 patients from our region use the PET-CT scanner in Kelowna, they have not addressed the wait times,” O’Reilly explained. “Kamloops is unlikely to see another major capital project for over a decade, so now is the time to make space for this essential equipment.”
In addition to the scanner, Councillor O’Reilly highlighted that Kamloops has between $18 and $20 million in donations specifically earmarked for a cardiac catheterization laboratory, stressing that funding is available, but physical space remains a challenge.
In discussions with the Ministry of Tourism, Councillor O’Reilly identified opportunities for Kamloops to benefit from the upcoming FIFA World Cup. These include hosting watch parties for fans and positioning the city as a training base for one of the teams—an idea supported by Kamloops’ experience hosting China’s speed skating team during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The provincial government has committed to ensuring that the entire province benefits from hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The session I attended today at UBCM was talking about just that, how can non host cities like #kamloops economically benefit from World Cup. pic.twitter.com/BcfgLlFioC
— Mike O’Reilly – Kamloops City Councillor (@mikeoreilly2022) September 23, 2025
