Provincial Election 2026: Candidate Responses to Regional Priorities

Q: Central and North Vancouver Island has one of the fastest growing and aging populations in Canada, creating a high demand for health care services. Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) is the designated tertiary hospital for the region, serving a population of 460,000+ residents north of the Malahat, yet continues to lack many specialized services typically offered at a tertiary hospital such as a cardiac catheterization lab and is consistently operating at over its bed capacity.   What is your position on the need for a new patient tower and cardiac catheterization laboratory at NRGH, and what specific steps would you take—if elected—to seek provincial approval, funding decisions, and a clear implementation timeline for these projects?

BC NDP Candidate's Joint Response

David Eby and the BCNDP will continue to advance work at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital by supporting the development of a concept plan for a new patient tower. Announced in Budget 2026, this is a significant step forward as it means formal planning work is now underway for the new tower and what services it will include. The expansion of acute cardiac services at the hospital is a priority, and the planning work for the tower will consider the location of a cardiac cath lab.

This builds on our investments to improve health care for people in Nanaimo and Lantzville: an expanded high acuity unit providing care for critically ill patients that was recently completed, a new cancer centre that is now under construction, and a new long-term care home in Lantzville that broke ground last month.

We look forward to advancing this important work to get people in the Nanaimo region the high quality healthcare they need.

Protecting and strengthening healthcare is critical right now. Since 2017, the BC NDP government has invested almost nine times as much into healthcare capital in Nanaimo as the BC Liberal government did in the nine years prior.

And there’s a lot more work needed to get everyone the care they deserve - we can’t afford to stop now. The conservative parties are planning big budget cuts that would impact healthcare. They’ve even acknowledged that healthcare will “take the brunt” of their cuts. And they would cancel our US healthcare worker recruitment – they called it “irresponsible”.

Conservative Party of BC Candidate's Joint Response

Yes. NRGH is the region's tertiary hospital, right here in Nanaimo, and it still has no cardiac cath lab. People have waited long enough. A Conservative government will commit $60 million in provincial funding toward a cath lab at NRGH, building on the NRHD Board's commitment of up to $50 million. We'll authorize the funding and work with Island Health and local partners to get it built as quickly as possible, and we'll fight to deliver it. The current government says tower planning "will consider the location" of a cath lab. That's a long way from a funded lab. The NDP also says it has invested almost nine times as much in Nanaimo health capital as the previous government. NRGH is still consistently over its bed capacity, so the spending hasn't fixed the problem. A new patient tower is needed too, and it should be planned carefully.

Q: If you are elected, will you assist local governments in purchasing privately owned land to protect watersheds, environmentally sensitive regions and land conservation? What specific steps will you and your party take to ensure that local governments are able to influence watershed management in their region?

Q: The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has requested that the Province provide leadership and functional involvement in bringing together First Nations, local governments, other levels of government, water purveyors, landowners, and regulatory bodies in the pursuit of a regional water supply strategy. Do you support these efforts, and what specific actions would you take to achieve this goal?

BC NDP Candidates' Joint Response

Clean, secure water is essential for healthy communities, local agriculture, and thriving ecosystems. Investing in our watersheds protects B.C. from climate impacts such as severe droughts and floods.

We have a plan to:

• Strengthen watershed protection through an additional $30 million-per-year investment in the B.C. Watershed Security Fund.
• Provide sustainable long-term funding and secure healthy watersheds and thriving communities for generations.

Building on work that:

• Created the initial $100-million B.C. Watershed Security Fund jointly announced with the B.C.-First Nations Water Table and the Province of British Columbia.

We all need to come together and plan for flood and drought conditions to keep our communities safe and resilient to climate change and we agree that the provincial government is in a key position to play a leadership role while working closely with local governments, First Nations, industry and the agricultural sector to support water conservation and long-term water security.

Conservative politicians want to roll back environmental protections and stall our progress on climate change. Our province can’t afford that, especially as British Columbians are seeing firsthand the threat of climate change through droughts, floods, and unprecedented wildfires. By continuing to work together on the progress we have made, we can strengthen watershed security, build more resilient communities, and ensure British Columbians have the water resources they depend on for generations to come.

Conservative Party of BC Candidates' Joint Response

A Conservative government will move funding upstream toward flood and drought prevention, including dikes, drainage and water storage for coastal communities. We will also enable more storage, accelerate groundwater licensing and support responsible watershed stewardship.

We recognize the challenges created by fragmented water governance and the importance of bringing First Nations, local governments and other stakeholders together. We will work with the RDN to advance practical, affordable solutions that respect local autonomy while improving regional water security.

We also recognize the value of protecting environmentally sensitive lands and will explore opportunities to support local conservation partnerships.

The NDP acknowledges that provincial leadership is essential, yet the RDN continues to seek that involvement. Our commitment is to bring the region's concerns to Victoria and pursue coordinated, accountable solutions that deliver long-term water security.

Q: Small homes under 1,000 sq. ft. (93 m²) can provide affordable entry-level, workforce and downsizing housing, especially in rural communities, but the BC Building Code’s energy-efficiency and seismic requirements add disproportionately to their cost, making them less affordable. The RDN has urged the Province and Government of Canada to commission an independent cost-benefit review of these requirements for small, single-storey residential homes, and investigation of the potential for a simplified building standard or alternative compliance pathway for these homes.  Do you support this approach, and if so, what actions would you take, if elected, to assist the RDN in its efforts to keep small homes affordable?

BC NDP Candidates' Joint Response

Keeping housing affordable for British Columbians is a key priority for David Eby and the BC NDP. For too long, conservative politicians let speculators drive the cost of housing out of reach for people. But now, David Eby’s housing plan is making a difference.

• Housing costs are coming down faster than anywhere else in Canada.
• Starting rents in B.C. are down over 10% since their peak in 2023 – and have gone down for 26 months straight.
• The average price for a home has come down.
• And we’ve eliminated local zoning barriers to build 300,000 more middle-class homes

And we have a plan to:

• Increase the Speculation and Vacancy Tax (SVT) rate by one percentage point: from 1% to 2% on domestic resident owners of secondary properties, and from 4% to 5% on foreign speculators, to push more units into the rental market for people.
• Introduce a new Unsold Condo Tax on large developer-owned finished condos that have been vacant and unsold for more than 1 year, starting at 2% in Year 2 and increasing by 1% for each additional year a condo remains unsold to push developers to lower prices or turn units into rentals.
• The change will help put more empty units into the long-term rental market, and any additional revenue will go to building more affordable homes people need.
• This will unlock up to 5,000 finished condos for British Columbians to buy or rent at prices people can afford.

We agree that small homes are also a good affordability option and are committed to finding solutions to simplify the pathway for small homes. Homes under 1,000 sq ft are also well suited to prefabrication, which are designed to meet Building Code requirements, and can be built at very cost-effective prices. We recently rolled out a new housing program - Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing or DASH - to reduce costs and speed construction times by making prefabricated kit designs for small apartment complexes more accessible and affordable.

The conservative parties would scrap David Eby’s housing plan – that means higher costs and fewer homes for people. We can’t afford that, especially right now.

Conservative Party of BC Candidates' Joint Response

Small homes give first-time buyers, local workers and seniors who want to downsize a way to stay in their community. A Conservative government will fix the Building Code. We'll overhaul the Step Code and simplify and harmonize the Building Code. We'll also cut construction taxes and charges and scrap unnecessary charges that add to construction costs. We'll fight to get those changes delivered for builders and buyers here. The NDP spent much of its answer warning that we'd "scrap" its housing plan. Yet small homes in our region still cost too much to build under that plan, which is why the RDN is asking this question. As for the RDN's call for an independent cost-benefit review of energy and seismic requirements for small homes, we're open to it. Safety has to come first. We'll be talking with local builders, the RDN and residents about it.

Q: The RDN has requested that the Government of British Columbia consider improving the sustainability of search and rescue operations in BC through a dedicated visitor-pays funding stream, job-protected leave for volunteer firefighters and SAR volunteers, and WorkSafeBC presumptive mental disorder coverage for SAR volunteers.  Would you support this request and if so, how would you advocate in the legislature for making SAR operations more sustainable?

BC NDP Candidates' Joint Response

David Eby and the BC NDP recognize the critical role volunteer SAR groups play in provincial and community safety. We have significantly strengthened support for SAR by investing approximately $6 million annually in stable base funding to SAR groups through the BC Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA), replacing the previous ad hoc grant model. We also increased the volunteer firefighter and search and rescue volunteer tax credit and are dedicating approximately $9 million annually to reimburse SAR groups for operational deployments, training and equipment.

It’s important that volunteers can participate in emergency response activities without jeopardizing their employment and that’s why we established employment protections for certain emergency management volunteers deployed under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act - and there is more to do. SAR volunteers currently have access to a range of mental health supports including peer support, critical incident stress management services and WorkSafeBC-supported psychological care and we will advocate that these support needs to evolve to meet the needs of our hard-working volunteers.
 

Conservative Party of BC Candidates' Joint Response

Search and rescue volunteers and volunteer firefighters drop everything when the call comes, and it often costs them. Keeping these teams going for the long term matters. The RDN has put three ideas forward: a visitor-pays funding stream, job-protected leave, and WorkSafeBC presumptive mental-health coverage for SAR volunteers. Each deserves a serious look, including what it would cost and how it would work for volunteers and for the local businesses that employ them. Whatever comes out of that has to be affordable for everyone involved. Before settling on an approach, we want to hear from local SAR groups, fire departments and the RDN. They know better than anyone what it takes to keep these teams on the job.

Q: Local governments depend on stable provincial FireSmart funding to deliver mitigation projects and foster shared responsibility for wildfire risk reduction. With the Province shifting to one-year funding for FireSmart efforts, the RDN has asked the Province to reaffirm its commitment to community wildfire mitigation through continued, stable, and accessible funding through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities Community Resiliency Investment program; to return to the previous funding model to provide local governments with more predictable and consistent access to funding for multi-year mitigation initiatives; and to recognize FireSmart as a core component of local governments’ Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA) obligations and funding that supports those obligations.  How would you support these efforts?

BC NDP Candidates' Joint Response

This wildfire season reinforced what we know to be true: FireSmart works. And David Eby and the BC NDP have been investing in Firesmart with approximately $190 million invested in the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports program since 2018. In fact, applications are open now for the next intake of FireSmart funding, providing a total of $15 million for community initiatives throughout BC.

A re-elected BC NDP government will also take new steps to support families impacted by this summer’s devastating wildfires. The new supports will focus on uninsured properties and funding to help rebuild essential community infrastructure - and build on action we have already taken, including:

• Making the BC Wildfire Service a year-round operation
• Recruiting thousands more wildland firefighters and making hundreds more positions permanent year-round – increasing permanent full-time staff 56% – with a new training centre in Kamloops
• Boosting wildfire-fighting equipment, airplanes and helicopters, deploying advanced new technologies like drones and upgrading BC Weather Stations to better monitor and predict wildfire movement and growth, adding a new northern operations equipment depot in Prince George.

The BC NDP funding for wildfire prevention is 9 times higher than it was under the previous conservative governments. The BC Conservative plan would force deep, unaffordable cuts to public services. It’s a risk British Columbians can’t afford.

Conservative Party of BC Candidates' Joint Response

The NDP warns of "deep, unaffordable cuts." But the move to one-year FireSmart funding is happening under its own government, and its own September fiscal update forecasts a $13.8 billion deficit this year. Local governments still can't count on multi-year funding. One-year money makes it hard to plan and finish multi-year mitigation work, and many neighbourhoods in our region back right onto forest land. A Conservative government will budget for wildfire at what it actually costs and move money upstream toward prevention. That includes more fuel breaks around communities and predictable FireSmart funding for municipalities, with the hectares treated reported every year. We'll fight to deliver that for our region. The RDN's specific asks on the CRI program, the previous funding model and FireSmart's place under EDMA are worth weighing carefully with local governments.

Q: Local governments require comprehensive data on the wildfire risk in their region to meet their obligations under EDMA and access funding. However, the Province excludes wildfire risk data for Private Managed Forest Lands from datasets available to local governments.  The RDN is asking the Province to restore complete, all-lands wildfire risk information to local governments to support them in managing fire risk.  Would you support this effort and if so, how?

BC NDP Candidate's Joint Response

We recognize that some communities are having challenges where hazard information is incomplete or not readily available. We are open to discussing ways to improve data sharing to help local governments with wildfire management to protect our communities.

Conservative Party of BC Candidates' Joint Response

We understand the concern. Local governments have statutory responsibilities under EDMA, and effective emergency planning depends on having complete, reliable wildfire risk information. Wildfires don't recognize property boundaries, and neither should our understanding of the risks.

A Conservative government will prioritize wildfire prevention, preparedness and responsible forest management, supported by better information and coordination among the Province, First Nations, local governments and emergency management professionals.

Our Plan for a Stronger BC commits to investing in wildfire prevention, early detection and community protection. We support reviewing the RDN's request to restore comprehensive, all-lands wildfire risk information, including Private Managed Forest Lands, while addressing legitimate landowner concerns. We recognize the importance of moving that discussion toward a practical resolution so local governments have the information necessary to meet their responsibilities and protect their communities.

Q: Roadside encampments on provincial road rights-of-way in the RDN’s electoral areas create significant public safety, environmental, operational and community challenges. Efforts to coordinate a response via a multi-agency regional working group could be more effective with the consistent participation of Ministry of Transportation and Transit staff. What is your position on the role of local government in coordinating a response with the Province, RCMP, BC Housing, relevant ministries, and community service providers? If elected, what specific actions would you take to improve provincial accountability and inter-agency coordination on this issue?

BC NDP Candidate's Joint Response

David Eby and the BC NDP are committed to building safe, secure homes and providing needed supports to help people overcome the cycle of homelessness. We are working to close encampment across the province and bring people indoors where they can access services.

Our homeless and encampment response and temporary housing solutions are providing rapid, coordinated, multidisciplinary responses to address encampments when they arise, as we continue to build and deliver supportive housing and shelters.

Since 2017, we have more than 550 supportive homes open or underway in Nanaimo. It includes 159 HEARTH units open and 63 permanent shelter spaces with more temporary shelter and emergency weather-response spaces funded during the winter. Because Nanaimo has a range of low-barrier supportive housing, a recovery-oriented housing site can provide a valuable additional housing option and the new purpose-built housing coming to 250 Bryden St. (formerly known as 250 Terminal Ave.) will be recovery-oriented housing.

We agree that addressing homelessness is a shared responsibility, requiring partnership from all levels of government to help people experiencing homelessness stay safe, access health services, and gain stable housing with the services and community supports they need. We are committed to ensuring that coordination of these supports is effective and includes all necessary partners.

We have more work to do. But the only way to resolve encampments is to get people indoors with housing and shelter - and we’re doing that work. Conservatives have opposed all of our housing actions. Their choices mean more encampments, not less.

Conservative Party of BC Candidates' Joint Response

Local governments can't solve roadside encampments on their own, especially on provincial roads they don't control. The safety, environmental and community problems the RDN describes are real. The NDP says Conservative choices would mean "more encampments, not less." The encampments in the RDN's question are on provincial land today, under the current government, and the RDN is still asking that government's own staff to come to the table. A Conservative government will end the public disorder on our streets and in our public spaces. We'll move from "safe supply" to care and recovery, connecting people to treatment and support, with public safety and care working together. We'll fight to deliver that here. On how Ministry of Transportation and Transit staff take part in the RDN's working group, we'd want to hear from the RDN, the RCMP, service providers and residents first.

Q: Many rapidly growing communities adjacent to urban centres remain classified as rural, resulting in higher speed limits and limited sidewalks or safe shoulders, even as commuters, pedestrians, cyclists, children, farm vehicles and trucks increasingly share the roads. What is your position on improving road safety in these areas, and, if elected, what specific actions would you take to advance provincial policy, funding and infrastructure changes—such as revisiting road classifications, permitting traffic-calming measures, expanding school zones and supporting active transportation infrastructure?

BC NDP Candidates' Joint Response

David Eby and the BCNDP are taking action to make the roads in all our communities safe. This action includes:

• Replacing all 140 intersection safety cameras with new, modern technology.
• Adding automated speed enforcement equipment at some of B.C.’s highest-risk intersections.
• Ensuring intersection safety cameras operate 24/7 to ticket vehicles going through red lights.
• Introducing Increased financial penalties and lengthened driving bans for high-risk behaviours like excessive speeding and distracted driving.
• Implementing mandatory entry-level training for new commercial drivers and, working with police agencies, increasing commercial vehicle safety inspections.
• Establishing consistent Class 4 operator training requirements across the taxi, chauffeur and ride-hailing sector.
• Creating new Motorcycle Licensing Program for all new motorcycle drivers to help reduce fatalities and serious injuries resulting from motorcycle-related crashes.

In addition, the Zero Grant Program launched by our BCNDP government in 2021, is investing more than $3.8 million to support almost 240 community-led projects to improve road safety. This year’s funding will support:

• new crosswalks and multi-use paths
• traffic-calming features, such as speed signage and speed humps
• improved lighting and visibility for road users

The Conservative parties are planning big budget cuts that would impact road and community safety. As the newly re-elected BCNDP government, we will continue implementing the 2025 Road Safety Strategy and take action needed to improve road and community safety.

Conservative Party of BC Candidate's Joint Response

Plenty of fast-growing areas near our towns are still classified as rural. That means higher speed limits and few sidewalks or safe shoulders, while more kids, seniors, cyclists, farm vehicles and trucks share the road. A Conservative government will make trucking safety a priority. We'll investigate companies that break the rules or employ unqualified commercial drivers, impose the strictest available penalties, and mandate dash cams in alignment with Government of Canada standards. We'll fight to deliver that here. Changing road classifications, allowing traffic calming, expanding school zones and building active transportation are all worth exploring, and any changes have to be practical and affordable. The people who drive these roads every day know them best, and we'll listen to them and to the RDN. One last point. The NDP's answer calls itself "the newly re-elected BCNDP government" before a single vote has been counted. Voters here get to decide that on October 24.

Q: Highway 19 through the Nanoose Flats is an essential regional transportation corridor with a serious and persistent road-safety problem. Although Highway 19 is under provincial jurisdiction, local government has an important responsibility to represent community concerns, contribute local knowledge and press for accountable action.  The RDN Board has previously communicated support for the Province’s Operations and Safety Review, has advocated to the Province for evidence-based improvements, and is prepared to work with the Province and affected partners to reduce collision risks at intersections and access points and along the corridor. Do you support this position? If elected, what specific actions would you take to ensure the Operations and Safety Review reflects local concerns and results in timely and effective safety improvements on Highway 19 through the Nanoose Flats?

BC NDP Candidates' Joint Response

A re-elected BCNDP government would work with the Regional District of Nanaimo as well as the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation to address these concerns.

The Conservative parties are planning big budget cuts that would impact road and community safety. As the newly re-elected BCNDP government, we will continue implementing the 2025 Road Safety Strategy and take action needed to improve road and community safety.

Conservative Party of BC Candidates' Joint Response

Highway 19 through the Nanoose Flats is in Ladysmith-Oceanside, and residents of Nanaimo-Lantzville and Nanaimo-Gabriola Island drive it too. Anyone who uses it regularly knows how serious the safety problem is, and we share the concern. The RDN Board's support for evidence-based improvements through the Operations and Safety Review makes sense. Local knowledge from residents, the RDN and Snaw-Naw-As First Nation matters to getting it right, and specific fixes have to follow the evidence. More broadly, a Conservative government will build the roads, bridges, bypasses and lane expansions a growing economy needs to keep people and goods moving. We'll make the case for Highway 19 in that work. The NDP answered this question in three sentences. Two of them repeated its claim about Conservative cuts and called itself "newly re-elected." This problem has persisted on its watch. We'll keep listening to the RDN and to the people who drive this stretch every day.