B.C. budget delays care homes, hospital and cancer facility, student housing

Province delays big projects

Photo: The Canadian Press

B.C. Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt speaks at news conference at the B.C. legislature in Victoria, B.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dirk Meissner

British Columbia’s budget is delivering hits to the young, the old and cancer patients alike as government construction undergoes “re-pacing” to address fiscal pressures.

There are delays to seven long-term care projects from Abbotsford to Fort St. John, as well as the second phase of Burnaby Hospital and Cancer Care, and student housing at the University of Victoria.

Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt says the delays will put immediate pressure on the health-care system and make B.C. fall further behind on providing long-term care beds.

He says they will also put more strain on families caring for older people.

The government says in a briefing note with Tuesday’s 2026 budget that the delays “incorporate the lessons learned from projects already underway.”

Finance Minister Brenda Bailey says the delays to the plans – which the government says are being re-paced, refreshed and re-sequenced – will prevent the government competing with itself for resources such as steel, and this will reduce costs.