Work will begin this month at the site of a cancer centre that will be built at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital in the coming years.
The $289-million centre will be three storeys, built next to the hospital’s ambulatory care building, slated for completion in 2028. It is planned to have a PET/CT diagnostic scanner and an oncology ambulatory care unit with 12 exam rooms and four consultation rooms. The lower level will contain four linear accelerator vaults that contain radiation equipment.
At the site, patients will be treated with oral and intravenous cancer treatment, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and hormonal therapy. The clinic will also provide initial consultation and treatment planning with a medical oncologist, supportive care, follow-up care and patient education.
In a press release this week, Josie Osborne, B.C.'s minister of health, said it's gratifying to see the facility begin to take shape.
"We are one step closer to the cancer care that people who live in the central, west coast, and northern regions of Vancouver Island need – from prevention and detection right through to treatment," she said.
In the spring, construction will begin on expanding parking at the hospital by 190 spaces, starting with a new surface level parking lot at Boundary Avenue and Nelson Street with an expected completion of this year, followed by a new three-storey parkade at the northeast corner of Dufferin Crescent and Boundary Avenue with an expected completion of 2026.
“The beginning of preliminary site work marks an important milestone in the advancement of cancer care for people in the region,” said Leah Hollins, Island Health board chairperson, in the release. “When it opens, the new B.C. Cancer centre will become a beacon of hope, recovery, and support in the fight against cancer.”
Stantec Architecture, on behalf of Island Health, recently filed a development variance permit to increase the centre's maximum permitted building height, from the required 14 metres to 25 metres. The application was on the agenda for a City of Nanaimo council meeting on Feb. 3 that ended up being cancelled due to snowfall.
