This afternoon, the B.C. Government announced the 2026 Budget.  BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) CEO Mary Polak  attended budget lock-up to learn firsthand what the implications mean for B.C.’s seniors’ care sector.

In the lead‑up to Budget Day, BCCPA emphasized that without meaningful investment in seniors living and care capacity and workforce stability, the system would be further strained. BCCPA called for immediate action on several areas, including:

1. Funding to support new and replacement long-term care and assisted living capacity, including leveraging the capacity of the affiliate care sector through a continuous Request for Services (RFS) process.
2. Fair, sustainable funding for the long-term care sector, including for the currently underfunded HEABC sites and funding to address the operational costs of forcing new operators into the HEABC-negotiated collective agreements.
3. Investment in a refreshed BC health human resources strategy that focuses on provincial recruitment and retention initiatives for the seniors care workforce.
4. Targeted annual investments to increase care hours to four hours per day for all long-term care residents.
5. Support aging in place through stable, ongoing funding for the Alzheimer Society of BC’s proven First Link® program and by introducing an Aging in the Right Place tax credit to help seniors who would prefer to remain at home, those waiting for long-term care, and their family caregivers who support them.

Today’s announcement included $185 million over three years to strengthen seniors’ care through the Ministry of Health. While any investment is welcome, it falls short of addressing the scale of the current crisis. The new operational dollars tied to the recent HEABC membership decision do not fully cover the increased costs placed on operators (which the government projects is $72 million in 2028/29, an underestimation without consultation from the sector), and the funding highlighted under the bilateral agreement appears to be a reannouncement rather than a new commitment.

No new long‑term care projects were introduced. Instead, the government provided only updated timelines and increased cost estimates for projects already underway. The budget document concurred with BCCPA’s assessment that the cost of constructing new long-term care beds is unsustainable and estimated it to be about $1.8 million per bed in some cases, finally hearing our concerns over costs per bed. Additionally, even as no new long-term care projects were announced, the budget contained no reference to home support, which is an unfortunate exclusion given the essential role home health services play for the seniors’ care system and the broader health‑care system.

Although the budget fell short of the actions we had urged the government to take, Opposition Finance Critic Peter Milobar’s remarks highlighted the neglect of the seniors’ care sector.

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BCCPA has informed the Ministry of Health that an urgent discussion in light of the Budget is needed. BCCPA will continue advocating strongly for government to reconsider its priorities and make targeted investments that truly reflect the urgency and scale of the seniors’ care crisis.