A rendering of the planned BC Cancer Centre at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. (BC Cancer)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

first steps

Tree removal set to start ahead of Nanaimo Cancer Centre construction

Feb 13, 2025 | 11:30 AM

NANAIMO — Preliminary site work at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital is about to get underway on a major construction project.

Development of the B.C. Cancer Centre in Nanaimo will begin with tree removal and other site preparations in the coming weeks to allow easy access and few barriers for when construction crews begin their work.

Island Health noted an arborist developed a tree management plan to indicate “which trees can be safely retained and identify those that need to be removed.”

Disruption to staff, patients and visitors to NRGH during the tree removal period is expected to be minimal, however those going to the hospital should prepare for any unexpected delays.

Located along Dufferin Cres., near the main hospital entrance, the cancer centre represents a significant step forward in healthcare options for those on the central and north Island.

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“This project will greatly enhance access to cancer care, benefiting not only Nanaimo residents but also those in central and northern Vancouver Island communities,” Tracy Irwin, chief operating officer, BC Cancer, said in a statement. “Since the project was announced last April, many hours have been spent…ensuring that the new centre provides patient-centred care for years to come.”

Construction on the facility is expected to start in the fall, with a 2028 completion.

The project is subject to a height variance request to Nanaimo City Council, which was scheduled to be discussed on the Monday, Feb. 3 meeting before it was cancelled due to weather conditions.

The variance is expected to return at a future meeting.

Associated work included 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, as well as more surface-level parking at Boundary Ave. and Nelson St. later this year.

“It’s very gratifying to see this critically important and life-saving facility begin to take shape,” Josie Osborne, Minister of Health, said. “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.”

A business care for the project was announced in April 2024 with then-health minister Adrian Dix saying the facility will help “the 1,400 people who need radiation therapy, the 20,000 treatments they need, will be doing them here in Nanaimo and not in Victoria.”

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.

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