NANAIMO — After years of promises from government and an outcry from locals, construction of the highly anticipated Nanaimo Cancer Centre has finally begun.
Ground was officially broken on Friday, Oct. 31, for the three-storey building located on the grounds of the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) near the front entrance off Dufferin Cres., with an expected price tag of $311 million.
Construction on the new cancer centre is expected to be complete in 2028.
“This facility is a generational investment in health care for the central Island,” Bowinn Ma, minister of Infrastructure, said. “It will deliver better care for cancer patients for many years to come by providing vital services closer to home, so patients won’t have to travel long distances for treatment.”
A rendering of the east view of the new BC Cancer centre at NRGH from Dufferin Cres. (BC Cancer)The facility is expected to include 16 treatment bays, and two rooms for therapy administration, consultation and other needs.
An oncology care unit with 12 rooms is also envisioned, featuring additional consultation rooms and office space for on-site staff.
The new facility was created out of a partnership with BC Cancer (Provincial Health Services Authority) and Island Health to address the critical need for radiation treatment services for Island residents from Nanaimo and north, without having to travel to Victoria or Vancouver.
Along with the addition of radiation therapy and an expanded pharmacy, the new centre will also include an outpatient oncology ambulatory care unit complete with exam and consult rooms, a PET/CT diagnostic scanner, systemic therapy and a sacred space.
Construction continues on new parking at NRGH. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)Signs of early construction were finally seen earlier this year as the site was being prepared, with surface-level parking at Boundary Ave. and Nelson St. complete earlier this year.
Associated work includes a new three-storey parkade on the northeast corner of the hospital property, near the Dufferin Cres. and Boundary Ave. intersection, to be completed in 2026, bringing 190 new parking spaces to NRGH.
The project, which will replace significantly smaller cancer care services within NRGH, was originally promised by the BC NDP as part of the 2020 provincial election campaign.
A business case for the project was announced in April 2024, and fundraising efforts began to make it a reality.
NRGH has seen a lot of upgrades recently, including a new 12-bed intensive care unit, which opened in June 2023 after being announced in 2018, and the opening of a new High Acuity Unit in August.
Construction crews have cleared space near the main entrance of NRGH for a future cancer centre at the hospital. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)Subscribe to our daily news wrap. Local news delivered to your email inbox every evening. Stay up to date on everything Nanaimo and Oceanside.
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