VICTORIA, BC: The Province has rejected a proposal to replace the aging Tofino hospital with an expanded “campus of care” facility, raising new concerns about the future of health services for communities on Vancouver Island’s West Coast.
According to reporting from Westerly News, the Ministry of Infrastructure declined the proposal due to cost concerns. The project, supported by Island Health and first submitted in 2024, would have expanded services to include long-term care and hospice care, services that are not currently available at the facility.
The Province has instead indicated interest in a scaled-back replacement focused on basic services such as emergency care.
Critic for Rural & Seniors Health MLA Brennan Day says the decision highlights the consequences of the NDP government’s handling of the provincial budget.
“It is deeply concerning that the government has rejected a full hospital replacement in the Health Minister’s own riding,” said Day. “Communities on the West Coast have been working toward modern health infrastructure for years, and they deserve more than scaled-back plans and delays.”
Local leaders are now seeking regional support as they push the Province to reconsider the decision.
Day says the situation reflects broader challenges facing rural and coastal communities trying to access care.
“People in smaller and remote communities deserve the ability to receive care and age in place close to home,” said Day. “Instead, they are being told there isn’t room in the budget.”
Day is calling on the Province to reconsider the decision and provide a clear path forward for a full hospital replacement that meets the long-term needs of the West Coast.
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Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Press Secretary
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948
