B.C. Conservatives pledge new children's hospital in Surrey, with no estimated cost or timeline
The B.C. Conservative Party has promised to build a new children's hospital for families south of the Fraser River, though details on the proposal are currently slim.
At a campaign stop on Thanksgiving, leader John Rustad announced plans for a "dedicated pediatric hospital" in Surrey that would allow more families to get care close to home.
Surrey Memorial Hospital's pediatric ER is operating at more than double its original intended capacity, Rustad said, and hundreds of patients are transferred to B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver annually for emergency care.
"Pediatric health care, there's a definite shortage here in the community," he said. "We need to make sure these services are here, they're local, and they're available."
But the B.C. Conservative Party – which still has not released a costed campaign platform, less than a week out from voting day – could not provide an estimated budget or timeline for the project.
"There's no question with a project like this, it's going to be quite an expensive project," Rustad said, in response to a question about the potential cost of the hospital.
"That costing will have to come at a later date as we build out just what it will be."
In a statement, B.C. NDP candidate Adrian Dix noted that the provincial government has already begun construction on a new hospital in Surrey, plus a "major expansion" to Surrey Memorial Hospital that includes a new maternity unit and expanded pediatric services.
"People in Surrey remember that John Rustad and the B.C. Liberals sold off land meant to be a hospital and rejected a second medical school," Dix said, in a statement. "Now, it seems he will say anything, but he has no plan, no costing and no intention to follow through."
If re-elected, the NDP would "be happy" to work with Surrey to "further strengthen health-care services for families" if the municipality has land for use, he added.
Dix called the Conservatives’ hospital promise "another hastily made-up announcement" designed to distract voters from a growing number of controversies surrounding the party’s candidates.
On Sunday, social media posts resurfaced of Surrey South candidate Brent Chapman casting doubt on the official accounts of mass shooting events, including the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting that killed six people and left five others seriously injured.
"Look, I really hope no one was actually killed at any of these events but in the Orlando night club shooting, the people that talked to the press were not actually shot,” Chapman wrote, in part.
Chapman issued a social media statement overnight acknowledging the mass shootings referenced in his post were all “very real.”
Asked about the candidate's comments, Rustad called the remarks "offensive" and "wrong," but said he couldn't respond further because Chapman has "retained legal advice."
- Compare platforms from B.C.’s three biggest political parties
- Get important information on casting your ballot in B.C.
- See which candidates are running in your riding
- View live election results beginning at 8 p.m. on voting day
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE UPDATES Toronto's first 'Eras Tour' show kicks off at Rogers Centre
Taylor Swift takes the stage at the Rogers Centre as 'The Eras Tour' has arrived.
Purolator workers won't handle Canada Post packages if strike occurs, union says
Teamsters Canada says if Canada Post workers go on strike or are locked out, its members at Purolator won't handle any packages postmarked or identified as originating from the carrier.
Trump chooses anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting him in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research and the social safety net programs Medicare and Medicaid.
Canada urged to cut government-funded research collaborations with China: report
A newly released report is urging Canada to immediately end all government-funded research collaborations with China in a variety of different areas.
Centre Block renovation facing timeline and budget 'pressures'
The multi-billion-dollar renovation of parliament’s Centre Block building continues to be on time and on budget, but construction crews are facing 'pressures' when it comes to the deadline and total costs, according to the department in charge of the project.
Winnipeg driver rescues passengers from burning van
A Winnipeg driver was in the right place at the right time when a paratransit van caught fire Thursday morning.
B.C.'s chief vet tells clinics to set up bird flu protocols amid human exposure risk
British Columbia's chief veterinarian has told clinics that treat wild birds that they must establish protocols to prevent the spread of avian flu, warning of the risk of human exposure to the illness.
Measles cases in New Brunswick continue to climb
The number of measles cases in New Brunswick continue to climb. Officials with New Brunswick’s Department of Health said as of Thursday, the number of confirmed cases since October has reached 43.
Police release bodycam video of officer-involved incident at Hindu temple protest in Brampton, Ont.
Police say an officer who forcefully removed a 'weapon' from a protester outside of a Hindu temple in Brampton was acting 'within the lawful execution of his duties' after bystander video of the incident circulated widely online.