The Premier says the Provincial government remains committed to the Kamloops cancer care centre, which is expected to open by 2027.

David Eby was asked about the Thompson Regional Hospital District’s (TRHD) $75,000 advocacy campaign for the long promised facility during a stopover in Kamloops.

“I welcome advocacy from hospital groups and from user groups about how we can improve the healthcare system,” Eby said Monday. “It is not just the provincial government here, its also the federal government and local government often who are in partnerships to deliver and make sure that people get the care that they need.”

“The land is there that we’re in partnership with local governments and from the federal government that the funding is there, and those advocacy campaigns can be very useful to leverage community support to expand on what government is able to do directly.”

In May, Health Minister Adrian Dix said while provincial dollars will pay for the cancer care centre, local dollars may be asked for to subsidize the 470-stall parkade to be built along side it.

While there have been promises for a Kamloops cancer care centre with radiation treatment from former premiers Mike Harcourt in 1991, and John Horgan in 2020, the TNRD’s External Relations and Advocacy Advisor, Corbin Kelley, says this advocacy campaign will be “non-political” in nature.

Thompson Regional Hospital District Board Chair Mike O’Reilly told Radio NL the goal of the 10 month long campaign is to keep the pressure on the provincial government, noting the facility is long overdue.

“We’ve got a tight window between now and next fall when the next provincial election is when there will be things handed out and approved by government,” O’Reilly said. “We have been given announcements for three decades but success is when this actually happens.”

“That being said, if this does not happen between now and the next provincial election, the advocacy campaign won’t stop on election day. This advocacy campaign will stop once there is a shovel in the ground.”

According to Minister Dix, a business case for the Kamloops cancer care centre is expected to be approved sometime this fall.

“It is critically important to me that all British Columbians, including right here in Kamloops have access to high quality cancer care and that we need to make sure that those services are here in community,” Eby added Monday.