IN Monday’s Question Period, Health Minister Adrian Dix raised BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon’s decision to sell land that had been set aside for a second hospital in Surrey.

In 2012, then-Finance Minister Kevin Falcon used his budget speech to announce the sale of the hospital land, claiming a second hospital wasn’t necessary after renovations to Surrey Memorial:

“With the almost $600-million expansion of Surrey Memorial Hospital now underway at its current location, the land is surplus. So, rather than letting it sit there costing taxpayers money, we intend to sell it and let the private sector use it.” Video of Falcon’s comments is available here.

By announcing the sale, Falcon broke the promise made by BC Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell to build a hospital on the property.

In 2014, it was sold to Fairborne Lands for $20.5 million, despite being appraised at $23.5 million.

Fairborne President Christopher Philps gave the BC Liberals $25,000 in 2017, and made significant contributions in 2020 and 2021.

The NDP government has acquired land in Cloverdale and is investing $1.66 billion in a new state-of-the art hospital.

The NDP noted that the scope of the project includes 168 inpatient beds, emergency department, medical imaging department that includes computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), surgical suite, pharmacy, laboratory, and academic space. The new cancer centre will include an oncology ambulatory care unit, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, functional imaging including PET/CT, cyclotron, and space for six linear accelerators (five equipped at opening).