Kamloops Cancer Centre

Cancer impacts all of us. BC Cancer estimates that over 30,000 family members in B.C. will be diagnosed this year alone. It is one of the most challenging times for a family.

Approximately 50 per cent of cancer patients receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment plan. Radiation therapy can last between one and seven weeks and result in side effects that include fatigue and hair loss.

For too long cancer patients in the Thompson Cariboo Shuswap region have been travelling to Kelowna to access this life-saving treatment. That often means family members or loved ones taking time off work to drive more than two hours each way (and more in inclement conditions) to ensure their loved one gets the treatment they need. This is in addition to the other caregiving responsibilities they are likely taking on and the added stress on patients and family members.

That’s why the groundbreaking ceremony to announce EllisDon as the contractor that will build this new Cancer centre was such an exciting milestone for people in this region. Once open, the new centre is expected to provide radiation treatment for over 1,000 patients in its first year. It will also provide an additional MRI machine for cancer detection and diagnosis. The pharmacy will also be expanded along with the Community Oncology Network where patients currently receive chemotherapy.

The project is not without its challenges. The available site for the project is constrained and against a steep slope, resulting in space limitations for the building. The decision was therefore made to prioritize the available space for all the services that would be required to support life-saving radiation treatment, which left no room for a PET-CT scanner. Although difficult, this decision was also rooted in the needs of the community.

Providing radiation therapy and improving chemotherapy services are the highest priority for cancer patients in this region based on the latest available data. Estimates indicate patients living in and around Kamloops travel for radiation therapy about 16,500 times a year. Individual cancer patients will make the trips dozens and dozens of times for weeks on end during some of the most difficult and exhausting treatment regimens a person can bear. For context, the current number of trips required for PET-CT scans is about 900 per year, or about one day per week of PET-CT capacity, with most people requiring a scan just once.

All this being said, we know there is more work to do. The new BC Cancer centre is the largest ever cancer care investment in Kamloops. It is a generational investment that will benefit people in this region for years to come and it’s just one part of our government’s commitment to strengthen health-care infrastructure across the province.

~ By Bowinn Ma
Minister of Infrastructure
Thursday, July 31, 2025

Construction has begun on a new BC Cancer centre in Kamloops that will provide people in the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap region with better access to cancer care closer to home.

"This new BC Cancer centre in Kamloops is the single largest capital investment into the expansion of cancer care in the Kamloops region," said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure.

By building a facility equipped with the latest technology designed to meet the growing treatment needs of patients in the area, we're helping more people have access to high-quality cancer care closer to home. This project is part of our broader commitment to strengthening health-care infrastructure across the province.

The centre is being built at the Westlands site at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

Chemotherapy is available at Royal Inland's community oncology network clinic in Kamloops. Currently, patients travel to Kelowna or the Lower Mainland for radiation treatment. At the new centre, radiation treatment will be provided in shielded treatment rooms with three high-energy radiation treatment linear accelerators (LINACS).

Once the cancer centre opens to patients in 2028, it is expected to host 7,500 patient radiation consults and follow-up appointments annually. In its opening year, the centre is expected to provide approximately 16,500 treatments for up to 1,200 patients. This will save patients and their families time, stress and the burden of long-distance travel during care.

"The new BC Cancer centre in Kamloops is about delivering life-saving care closer to where people live, and to their loved ones and support networks," said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. "When people can access care closer to home, we know it leads to better experiences and healthier outcomes. This centre is a vital step toward ensuring people in the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap region receive timely, high-quality cancer care, when and where they need it most."

The new BC Cancer centre will include:

• radiation therapy planning including a computerized tomography scan (CT) simulator;
• diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
• an outpatient oncology ambulatory care unit, including exam rooms and consult rooms;
• an interfaith sacred space for for patients, caregivers and staff to recuperate and recharge;
• staff support, including offices and workstations; and
• a 470-stall parkade.

The project also includes expansion and upgrades to Royal Inland's community oncology clinic and pharmacy.

EllisDon Corporation has been selected to lead construction. Upgrades to the existing oncology clinic will continue, with work scheduled to finish at that site in 2029.

The new facility will be operated by BC Cancer in partnership with Interior Health. The estimated cost of the project is approximately $386 million, shared between the Province and the Thompson Regional Hospital District.

Royal Inland Hospital is one of two Interior Health tertiary referral hospitals, providing care for people in the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap region. It offers services including emergency care, surgeries, mental-health support, medical testing, cancer care and outpatient clinics.

The new BC Cancer centre is part of B.C.s 10-Year Cancer Action Plan, which sets out immediate steps to improve prevention, detection and treatment of cancer.

Read the full news release to learn more.

Officials and delegates break ground at the site of the new BC Cancer centre in Kamloops. L-R: Rosemary Wynne, van captain, Wheels of Hope driver program; Health Minister Josie Osborne; Health Minister Bowinn Ma; Diane Shendruk, vice president clinical operations; Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc; and Dr. Paris-Ann Ingledew, interim Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, BC Cancer.

On the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, where the North and South Thompson Rivers meet, a new vision for cancer care is taking shape. The upcoming BC Cancer Centre at Royal Inland Hospital is not just a building, it is a symbol of collaboration, healing, and respect for the communities it serves.

From the earliest planning stages, Interior Health has worked in partnership with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc to ensure Indigenous voices, values, and worldviews are reflected in every part of this project. Together, they developed an Indigenous Engagement Plan that goes beyond consultation—it builds relationships and creates space for culture, ceremony, and connection to land.

This engagement includes working with First Nations and urban Indigenous communities across the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap region. Their insights are helping shape how the space looks, feels, and functions—from physical design to how care is delivered. The goal: to ensure that the centre supports wellness in a way that is truly holistic, addressing the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of healing.

Key commitments include:

• Creating culturally safe and inclusive environments where Indigenous patients and families feel respected and supported.
• Ensuring staff are trained in cultural safety, and that programs and services reflect Indigenous experiences and ways of knowing.
• Engaging communities in conversations about care and designing spaces that welcome ceremony, culture, and connection.

But the partnership goes beyond care delivery. Through the Enhanced Inclusion and Development Agreement (EIDA), Interior Health and the Province of BC are supporting procurement opportunities for the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Nation to ensure meaningful economic participation and employment as the centre is built.

This includes:

• Increasing Indigenous and underrepresented workers in the construction workforce.
• Creating apprenticeship opportunities, including for Indigenous youth.
• Supporting Indigenous-owned businesses and culturally relevant procurement.

As we move forward, this project serves as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when healthcare is grounded in respect, relationships, and the wisdom of the land. Where the rivers meet, a new path of healing begins.

On Sept. 23, 2024 members from Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc met with Interior Health and design-build proponents. L-R: Lyle Paul, Greg Ferguson; Jackie Jules , Laura Saul and Elsie Joe.

Interior Health and BC Cancer have invited two qualified teams to participate in the request for proposals (RFP) stage to design and build the new BC Cancer centre at Royal Inland Hospital.

After evaluating the request for qualification submissions, two teams have been selected to participate in the RFP: EllisDon Corporation, and PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc.

Following the evaluation of RFP submissions, Interior Health and BC Cancer will choose the project’s design-build team. It is expected the team will be chosen by May 2025, with construction beginning summer 2025.

BC Cancer has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the new cancer centre at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) in Kamloops. Construction is expected to begin in 2025 and to be completed in 2028.

Through the RFQ process, Interior Health and BC Cancer will identify a shortlist of up to three qualified proponents who will be invited to participate in the next step of the competitive selection process, the request for proposal (RFP) stage. The RFP stage will determine which team Interior Health and BC Cancer will select to eventually lead the design and construction of the project.

The RFQ process is expected to be finalized in June 2024, followed by the RFP process.

Interior Health president & CEO Susan Brown and Minister of Health Adrian Dix gathered with other dignitaries at Royal Inland Hospital on Feb. 8 to announce the business plan for the new BC Cancer centre in Kamloops.

On May 25, 2023, the concept plan was approved for the Kamloops Cancer Centre.

Concept planning is a key part of the capital management and funding process that takes into account the need for investment, including identifying specific needs and how a project can support service-delivery requirements to ensure the specific needs of the community are addressed.

Business planning for the new cancer-care centre is now underway to determine the project scope, schedule and budget.