The provincial government says planning is back under way for a redeveloped Burnaby Hospital, with phased work starting with emergency and surgical upgrades.
The Story
The B.C. government says it has resumed planning for the expansion and redevelopment of Burnaby Hospital, a project that had been paused due to budget pressures.
Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma said the redevelopment planning has now “resumed” and will proceed in three steps rather than as a single, larger project originally planned.
The hospital expansion was among nine capital projects that were previously put on hold. Ma said the pause gave provincial health officials time to get the project back “on the rails.”
The first component of the renewed plan focuses on an immediate upgrade at the hospital, with $210 million earmarked for work on the emergency department and the surgical unit.
After the initial upgrade, the government’s phased approach includes expanding cancer care services over time, followed by the addition of new acute care services.
Ma said the earlier budget announcement that the government called a “re-pacing” of the hospital expansion led some residents to fear it would be cancelled outright.
She acknowledged the decision increased anxiety in Burnaby, adding that it was difficult news for the people there, including local MLAs.
Ma said the ministries involved, along with officials from Fraser Health, used the temporary halt to align the project’s next steps and move it forward.
The renewed announcement comes while there is speculation about a possible snap election. When asked about the prospect of an early election call, Ma did not provide a direct answer.
For Burnaby residents and others across Metro Vancouver, the shift from a large single-project model to phased delivery is likely to affect how and when services are added, starting with emergency and surgical capacity before later cancer care and acute care expansion.
← More stories