Campbell River\u2019s city manager says after years of working with the province on opening a much-needed long-term care facility, she was incredibly disappointed to hear it was now on hold following Tuesday\u2019s budget announcement from the province. <\/p>\n
Elle\u00a0Brovold, city manager for Campbell River says before Tuesday, she had no indication from the province that a planned build of long-term care facility would not move forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were all incredibly disappointed yesterday when the announcement came out,\u201d says Brovold.<\/p>\n
The project was first promised in 2023, then construction was slated to start in 2025 and open in 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe city for a couple of years had been pressing on the province for a timeline.\u201d<\/p>\n
The province first announced plans to build the three-storey long-term care facility with 153 long-term care beds on the west side of the North Island Hospital at 375 Second Ave. in Campbell River in June 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n With an estimated capital cost $134 million from B.C.\u2019s Island Health, and $53.6-million from the Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District, Island Health was slated to build and later operate the facility.<\/p>\n In the fall of 2024 and 2025, Brovold says Campbell River city staff and council met with the Minister of Health and the Minister of Infrastructure to check on the progress of the project.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we saw that the 2025 construction date was very unlikely because we hadn\u2019t heard anything, the city and council advocated quite strongly to the province, asking for an update and a timeline,\u201d she says. \u201cThey acknowledged that there was a delay but they said that they were still committed to the project moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the past six months, the city had continued working with the province\u2019s consultants, providing feedback on plans and designs, with no awareness that it would be delayed. They were just waiting on the province to submit the development application, which did not happen.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, when the province announced a $2.8 billion investment for health-care over three years, it added that at the same time, this investment mean other areas, including long-term care facility projects, would take a backseat.<\/p>\n In a statement Tuesday, the government said it\u2019s \u201cadjusting the timing of delivery for several approved long-term care projects to incorporate the lessons learned from projects already underway and from its ongoing review of the long-term care infrastructure program.\u201d<\/p>\n However, according to Brovold, there has been no timeline provided as to when the project will get back on track. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly disappointing. Long-term care beds aren\u2019t a future need, they\u2019re a need right now in Campbell River. We already have existing wait lists for people to get into long-term care, and with an aging demographic, we know that need will only grow. So yeah, it\u2019s very disappointing,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n This budget announcement not only delays the Campbell River long-term care facility project, but also projects in Abbotsford, Chiliwack, Kelowna (Cottonwoods), Delta, Fort St. John and Squamish.<\/p>\n The province it\u2019s \u201ctaking action to deliver beds more efficiently through a review of long-term infrastructure program to achieve cost efficiencies while maintaining safe, high-quality care for seniors.\u201d<\/p>\n With this week\u2019s announced $2.8 billion investment towards health-care, the bulk of this ($2.3B) is earmarked for increasing capacity and supporting the growing need for more services including doctors, nurses and health-care workers. It also supports the \u201cplanning, development and operations of new and expanded hospitals and health-care facilities throughout the province,\u201d it states.<\/p>\n Another $131 million over the three years will go towards mental health and addictions treatment, including more spaces for involuntary care patients. <\/p>\n The final $34 million annually is to provide access to in-vitro fertilization for almost 1,800 B.C. families, the province says.<\/p>\n With the $2.8 billion set aside for increasing capacity, supports, services and resources, other areas are taking the backseat, which includes long-term care projects and the continuation of job cuts. <\/p>\n \u201cRight now, there are added fiscal pressures on government finances. To mitigate construction cost escalation and maintain a competitive debt-to-GDP, the Province is adjusting the pace of the capital plan to continue building the schools, hospitals, and transit people need in a sustainable way,\u201d stated the province on Tuesday.<\/p>\n For now, she says the city plans to follow up with their MLA and the province to better understand the government\u2019s plans to fund the long-term care units.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now it says they\u2019re deferred, but there\u2019s no money at all in the budget for those. So it just begs the question of where we\u2019re at with all the current work that\u2019s been done\u2026and when we can potentially look to move something forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently there is one existing long-term care facility in Campbell River, the Yucalta Lodge<\/a>, operated by Island Health with capacity of 95 people. <\/p>\n