BC Spent $100M on Long-Term Care Projects Now on Hold — What It Means for Your Family

In April 2026, the BC government cancelled construction contracts for Phase 2 of the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment and five long-term care facilities — in Kelowna, Fort St. John, Delta, Abbotsford, and Mission. Two more projects in Squamish and Campbell River remain in limbo.

The province had already spent approximately $96 million on these projects before stopping work. That includes about $45 million on the Burnaby Hospital expansion and $51 million on the care homes — $25 million in Abbotsford alone, $15 million in Delta, and $8 million in Chilliwack.

The stated reason: the projects had grown to cost $1.8 million per long-term care bed, which the government called unsustainable. Critics were quick to note that four of the seven cancelled projects were actually cheaper than five projects that are moving forward — in Richmond, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Colwood, and Cranbrook.

Adding to the frustration: donors had raised $319 million for these projects. They're now waiting to hear whether and when they'll get that money back.

BC's long-term care waitlist problem was already serious before these cancellations. The BC Seniors Advocate has tracked the numbers closely:

• More than 7,000 seniors are currently waiting for a publicly funded long-term care bed in BC
• The average wait for a publicly funded long-term care bed in BC is approximately 277 days — up 34% in a single year
• Over the past six years, the waitlist has grown by 200%

The cancelled projects were meant to add hundreds of new beds. Without them, capacity constraints will persist longer than originally projected — especially in the cities directly affected: Kelowna, Delta, Abbotsford, Fort St. John, and Mission.

If your parent is on a waitlist in one of these communities, your case manager cannot give you a revised timeline yet. What we do know is that the projected supply increase those beds represented is no longer coming in the near term.

Not everything is cancelled. Five long-term care construction projects are still actively proceeding in BC as of May 2026:

• Richmond — new LTC facility (approximately $1.236M per bed)
• Vancouver — new LTC facility (approximately $1.287M per bed)
• Nanaimo — new LTC facility (approximately $1.174M per bed)
• Colwood — new LTC facility (approximately $1.09M per bed)
• Cranbrook — new LTC facility (approximately $1.594M per bed)

If your family is in or near one of these cities, new publicly funded beds will eventually come online — though exact timelines depend on construction progress.

For everyone else, the practical reality hasn't changed much: the publicly funded system is under pressure, beds are scarce, and families need a plan that works now rather than waiting for capacity to catch up.

The cancellations don't change the options available to you today — but they do raise the stakes for planning ahead. Here's the toolkit most families use when they can't wait:

1. Stay on the publicly funded waitlist — and stay active

If your parent has been assessed and is on the waitlist, don't come off it. Being on the publicly funded list while arranging private care is the right move. You can accept a publicly funded placement when it comes available and transition out of private care. Call your Health Authority case manager every 60–90 days to confirm your parent's placement status and update their clinical picture if it has changed — deterioration can improve waitlist priority.

2. Register at multiple facilities

You're allowed to be on the waitlist at more than one publicly funded facility. If you're willing to accept care in a community other than your first choice — even temporarily — your chances of a timely placement improve considerably. Talk to your case manager about registering across multiple sites.

3. Consider private-pay long-term care as a bridge

Most private-pay long-term care facilities in BC have some availability within weeks, no waitlist required. At $6,000–$12,000/month, it's expensive — but for families who need 24/7 nursing care now, it's often the only path that's immediately available. You stay on the publicly funded waitlist while in private care and transfer to a subsidized bed when one comes available.

4. Arrange home care to extend time at home safely

Private home care agencies in BC can typically start within a few days. The cost is $35–$75/hour depending on care type. Public home support through the Health Authority is also available at no or low cost for eligible seniors — call 8-1-1 to apply. The combination of public home support plus private top-up hours is how most families bridge the gap on a long LTC waitlist.

5. Explore enhanced assisted living

If your parent needs more support than standard assisted living but isn't yet at the clinical threshold for long-term care, enhanced assisted living can bridge the gap. It provides higher staffing ratios and more clinical support, at a subsidized rate similar to AL (70% of after-tax income, floor $1,253.80/month). Worth discussing with your case manager if the LTC waitlist is long and needs are growing.

For a full breakdown of bridge care strategies and what to do while on the LTC waitlist, see our BC Long-Term Care Waitlist Guide.

The cancelled projects are the most visible symptom of a longer-running problem. BC's senior population has been growing faster than the province has been adding care beds for years. The Seniors Advocate's data tells the story bluntly: the LTC waitlist has grown 200% in six years, while average wait times went from roughly 144 days to more than 277.

Construction costs are a genuine challenge — care home construction in BC has become significantly more expensive due to labour costs, building code requirements, and land prices. But families don't experience the budget problem; they experience the waitlist problem. And for a family in Kelowna or Delta whose parent needed a bed this year, the cancellation of a facility that was supposed to open in their community is a real blow.

The political debate about per-bed costs will continue. What families need to know is that the system's capacity shortage is not going to resolve itself quickly — and planning around private and community-based options is essential, not optional.

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