Nanaimo and Central Island are at a turning point. For decades, residents north of the Malahat have faced a healthcare system built for yesterday’s population: aging facilities, overcrowded wards, and limited access to cardiac care. These gaps aren’t just unfair; they quietly drain the region’s economic strength, meaning every patient transferred south takes both critical treatment and local dollars with them. A modern hospital tower and catheterization lab would not only close life-threatening care gaps, but they would also anchor hundreds of high-skill careers, attract new investment, and keep prosperity circulating in the Central Island where it belongs.

We wanted to highlight how one organization’s campaign for fair care not only advances a moral imperative but also lays the groundwork for healthcare to become a powerful economic driver for the region.

The Case

More than 400,000 people live in the Central Island, yet it remains the largest population in Canada without a catheterization lab.

The absence of a cath lab is a structural problem, not an inconvenience. It means that patients in cardiac distress are routinely sent to Victoria or Vancouver, often outside the evidence-based treatment window. Canadian cardiology research shows that for every 10 minutes of delay in access to percutaneous coronary intervention, survival rates worsen. The difference between a one-hour transfer and a three-hour transfer is measurable in outcomes.

The hospital tower is just as pressing. Existing facilities are aging, overcrowded, and stretched beyond capacity for a region of this size. Taken together, these projects would not only improve care but correct long-standing inequities.

Enter the Fair Care Alliance

These clinical realities gave rise to the Fair Care Alliance (FCA): a citizen-led coalition of healthcare workers, business leaders, and community advocates. Launched in May of 2024, the FCA has since worked tirelessly to spotlight these inequities, securing a political commitment from Premier David Eby to advance both a cath lab and a new hospital tower.

Their Role in Advocacy

Through countless packed speaking events, the FCA has mobilized, educated, and inspired the community, turning concern into action and giving hope to both residents and healthcare professionals. These events not only raise awareness but strengthen public pressure on decision-makers, keeping key points of Central Island healthcare front and center for government attention.

But the story here extends beyond advocacy and political commitments. 

When Care Leaves, So Does Value

Modern healthcare is often framed as an expenditure, but with direct and indirect economic benefits, expanding healthcare capacity in Nanaimo will prove to be one of the Island’s most prosperous investments.

Patients transferred to Victoria or Vancouver not only face delayed care, but it shifts both healthcare spending and wages to those regions. Over time, this represents a quiet but steady leakage of economic value.

Care That Pays Dividends

A new hospital tower and cath lab in Nanaimo would be economic catalysts. Construction brings an immediate surge of local jobs, supplier contracts, and activity in supporting sectors like retail and services. Once operational, these facilities sustain hundreds of high-skill healthcare careers while creating demand for training, recruitment, and retention strategies that root talent in the region.

Statistics Canada’s Provincial Input-Output multipliers show that both hospital construction and operations capture direct, indirect, and induced impacts across the economy.

• Hospital construction: A hypothetical $50 million investment in building or expanding hospitals, using a conservative GDP multiplier of 1.08, could generate roughly $54.2 million in GDP.
• Hospital operations: A comparable $50 million investment in hospital operating budgets, using a conservative GDP multiplier of 1.27, could generate roughly $63.7 million in GDP.

Behind these figures would be local stories of patients receiving timely care, families spared disruptive transfers, and economic value anchored in the Central Island.

Healthier Communities, Stronger Economies

Healthcare infrastructure does more than treat illness; it strengthens the very fabric of a community. The Fair Care Alliance’s work has not only raised awareness but given residents a stronger voice in shaping their region’s healthcare future.

Stronger healthcare signals that Nanaimo is a place worth investing in. For employers, advanced healthcare isn’t just a social good; it’s a deciding factor when workers choose where to build their lives. 

The work it takes to attract top healthcare talent (competitive facilities, strong community amenities, and quality of life) also makes Nanaimo magnetic to professionals in every sector.

Nanaimo’s Future

The Fair Care Alliance has framed the issue clearly: a cath lab and a hospital tower are not optional expenditures. They are foundational investments for a fair, healthy, and prosperous Central Island. Delivering them would not only provide care but also unlock measurable economic and social returns: jobs, productivity gains, workforce resilience, and community confidence.

In economic development, certain investments reshape the trajectory of a region. For Nanaimo, healthcare is that investment. A modernized healthcare ecosystem positions our region not just as a service hub but as an economic driver for generations to come.

Stay Informed – Sign the Petition – Share Your Stories

Words by Alec Hansen