BC Conservatives promise to build more long-term-care beds after NDP deferred projects
The Conservative Party of BC published a plan on 9 October 2026 to build long-term-care beds, saying 7,200 BC residents are currently on a waitlist and the NDP deferred seven projects in Budget 2026.
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The Conservative Party of BC published a plan on 9 October 2026 to build more long-term-care beds, saying 7,200 BC residents are on a waitlist and the BC NDP deferred seven projects in this year's provincial budget.
Lynne Block, the Conservative candidate for North Vancouver-Seymour, announced the plan in North Vancouver. Block is quoted in the party's release saying the NDP made beds too expensive to build and then shelved them. These are Block's characterizations of the NDP government's actions.
The party's release says design rules imposed by the NDP drove construction costs for some proposed beds to $1.8 million each. The party says Lorne Doerkson, if elected premier, would work with care providers, residents, families and builders to cut those rules while protecting safety and quality of care. The $1.8 million figure refers to some proposed beds and is the party's own claim.
The plan also says seniors on a waitlist would receive portable public funding, giving them and their families a choice among qualified providers, including non-government options. The party's release says this would come with strong performance safeguards. No dollar amount for the portable funding appears in the release.
The BC NDP did not respond to the announcement in the Conservative Party's release. No NDP response to this specific commitment was reported in the release published on 9 October.
The announcement came one day after the party published its broader seniors plan, which also promised to reverse NDP changes to the property-tax deferment program for seniors. The long-term-care release is a separate commitment focused specifically on care beds and the design rules the party says raised their cost.
All Conservative Party of BC candidates are listed at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/conservative-party-of-bc. The BC provincial election is on 24 October 2026. Advance voting runs 16 to 21 October. Check your place to vote at elections.bc.ca.
Questions this story answers
What did the BC Conservatives announce about long-term care on 9 October 2026?
The Conservative Party of BC published a plan on 9 October 2026 saying it would build long-term-care beds faster and give seniors waiting for care a choice of provider. The party says 7,200 BC residents are currently waiting for a long-term-care bed. The party also says the BC NDP deferred seven long-term-care projects in Budget 2026. These figures come from the party's own release and have not been checked against a government source.
What does the BC Conservative plan say about long-term-care bed costs?
The Conservative Party of BC's release, published 9 October 2026, says design rules imposed by the NDP drove construction costs for some proposed long-term-care beds to $1.8 million each. The party says Lorne Doerkson would work with care providers, residents, families and builders to cut those rules while protecting safety and quality of care. The $1.8 million figure is the party's own claim and refers to some proposed beds, not an average cost.
What is the portable public funding commitment for seniors?
The Conservative Party of BC's 9 October 2026 release says seniors waiting for a long-term-care bed would receive portable public funding, giving them and their families a choice among qualified providers, including non-government options. The party's release says this would come with strong performance safeguards. No dollar amount for the portable funding amount appears in the release.
Who announced the BC Conservatives' long-term-care plan?
The announcement on 9 October 2026 came from Lynne Block, the Conservative candidate for North Vancouver-Seymour, at an event in North Vancouver. Block is quoted in the party's release saying David Eby made beds too expensive to build and then shelved them. These are Block's words and her characterization of the NDP government's actions.
What did the BC NDP say about the Conservative long-term-care plan?
The Conservative Party of BC's release published on 9 October 2026 does not include a response from the BC NDP. No NDP response was reported in the party's release. When a source carries no response, that is noted here so readers know the other party was not quoted on this claim.
How many BC residents are waiting for long-term care, according to the Conservatives?
The Conservative Party of BC's 9 October 2026 release puts the number of BC residents waiting for a long-term-care bed at 7,200. This figure comes from the party's own release. The party has not cited a specific government source for this number in the release, and it has not been independently verified.
Where can I see the Conservative Party of BC's platform in this election?
You can browse all Conservative Party of BC candidates at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/conservative-party-of-bc on this site. Each candidate page shows the district they are running in and the candidate's profile. The BC provincial election is on 24 October 2026, with advance voting from 16 to 21 October.
When is advance voting for the 2026 BC provincial election?
Advance voting for the BC provincial election runs from 16 to 21 October 2026. Election day is 24 October 2026. Elections BC lists all voting places at elections.bc.ca. You can check whether your registration is current there as well. Voters who live in the North Vancouver-Seymour district can use any voting place in their district during advance voting or on election day.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Conservative Party of BC long-term care release, 9 October 2026conservativebc.ca
- Conservative Party of BC websiteconservativebc.ca
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