---
title: "BC NDP promises to double provincial library funding from $14M to $28M per year"
description: "Three BC NDP candidates announced on October 7 that a re-elected NDP government would permanently double annual provincial funding for B.C.'s 71 public library systems."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/bc-ndp-library-funding-double-october-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:06:57.140Z"
---

Three BC NDP candidates announced on October 7, 2026, that a re-elected NDP government would permanently double provincial funding for public libraries in British Columbia. The announcement was made outside the Courtenay branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library, as reported by the Comox Valley Record and Abbotsford News.

## The promise

The BC NDP says annual provincial library funding would rise from $14 million to $28 million per year. According to the report, B.C. has 71 public library systems. The party says the increased funding would help those systems stay open longer, expand digital collections, provide more free programs, and offer better Wi-Fi and computer access.

The three candidates who made the announcement were [Sara Lopez](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/sara-lopez) (North Island), [Will Cole-Hamilton](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/will-cole-hamilton) (Courtenay-Comox), and [Christine Boyle](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/christine-boyle) (Vancouver-Little Mountain).

## The history of the funding

The Comox Valley Record reports that provincial library funding was frozen at $14 million in 2010. In 2022, the BC NDP provided $8 million in extra grants. In 2023, the party committed a further $45 million over three years. Those extra grants have now expired, returning the annual base amount to $14 million. The new promise is to make a doubled amount permanent.

## What candidates said

Lopez told the Comox Valley Record that libraries are places where families, seniors, students, and people looking for work can access resources they may not afford otherwise. Cole-Hamilton said that as more information goes behind a paywall, libraries become more important, and that access to knowledge should not depend on what a person earns.

These are campaign promises. The BC NDP would need to win the election and then pass a budget to deliver them. You can compare each party's platform at [BC provincial parties](/bc/provincial-2026/parties). Voting day is October 24, 2026, with advance voting open from October 16 to 21.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.