Construction is underway on the new BC Cancer centre in Nanaimo. Located on the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital site, the new BC Cancer centre is expected to open in 2028 and will offer cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, all in one location.
“The new BC Cancer centre in Nanaimo will transform cancer care for people across central Vancouver Island,” said Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma. “This facility is a generational investment in health care for the central Island. 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.”
Designed by Stantec, the new three-storey centre will include:
- 16 treatment bays and two treatment rooms for systemic therapy administration and consultations with care teams;
- advanced imaging tools, including CT and PET/CT scanners, to help doctors find cancer and plan treatment more precisely;
- an oncology ambulatory care unit with 12 exam rooms, four consult rooms and space for medical physicists and radiation therapists;
- four linear accelerator vaults used to safely deliver radiation treatment;
- more parking, including a parkade and surface lot; and
- a new oncology pharmacy designed to meet the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities standards.
Once the cancer centre opens to patients in 2028, it is expected to host 11,000 patient radiation consults and followup appointments annually. In its opening year, the centre is expected to provide approximately 20,000 treatments for as many as 1,600 patients. This will save patients and their families time, stress and the burden of long-distance travel during care.
The new facility will be operated by BC Cancer in partnership with Island Health. The estimated cost of the project is $311 million, shared between the province, through Island Health, the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District and the BC Cancer Foundation.
