Access to proper care continues to be a challenge for Fort St. John seniors, as more turn to The Salvation Army shelter and food bank for support. Executive Director Jason King says more than 50 per cent of those accessing the shelter would be considered seniors.
“That reflects the growing pressure many older adults in our community are facing related to housing availability, affordability, health challenges and limited support options,” King said.
Jordan Kealy, Independent MLA for Peace River North, says The Salvation Army shelter is not a safe environment for seniors, adding B.C.’s health system is failing in critical ways.
“This should never happen to citizens who have been paying taxes their whole lives,” Kealy said. “They’ve been committed to propping the government up, and it should be committed to them.”
In February, the NDP government tabled a budget in which the Peace Villa long-term care expansion project was delayed indefinitely. The expansion was one of seven similar projects delayed, mainly due to fiscal pressures and rising construction costs.
Now, some contracts related to the expansion have been cancelled by Northern Health.
Margaret Little, president of Save Our Northern Seniors, says northern B.C. is in “desperate need” of long-term care facilities.
“At any time, a senior can fall or become ill, wind up in the hospital and end up on the waiting list because there is no room,” she said.
Little says some single rooms at Peace Villa now have two residents, adding this is not what was promised to seniors.
“Peace Villa was to be their own special home, and having to share is not acceptable,” she said.
No timeline or additional support was provided to Fort St. John residents by the provincial government when the expansion was delayed.
King encourages individuals in need to reach out early for assistance, as community supports are available across the city.
“For seniors who are finding themselves in difficult situations, I want them to know they are valued and they are not alone,” King said.
However, King says the issue extends beyond Fort St. John, pointing to other communities also seeing increases in senior visits.
“Long-term solutions will require ongoing collaboration between all levels of government, healthcare and housing providers, and community organizations to ensure seniors have access to safe housing, appropriate care and the support they need to age with dignity,” King said.
In March, Fort St. John city council sent a letter to the province requesting clear next steps and additional support for seniors after learning the expansion had been delayed.
A response from Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma did not satisfy everyone affected.
Peace Villa is currently operating at full capacity, with more than 70 people, including seniors now in Fort St. John Hospital waiting for placement.
Those patients remain in hospital while they await long-term care beds, contributing to higher-than-usual patient volumes.
The expansion would add 84 private rooms and a 30-space adult day program.
Construction had been scheduled to begin in spring 2027, with the expanded facility expected to open by the end of 2030.
-Noah Abel/CJDC
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I too, sent letters to the ministers, protesting the cancelation on the 2027 expansion project. The reply was regurgitated reasoning and placation. I reiterated the need is immediate and that we also need an intermediate care facility.
i’ve been looking for an apartment or condo that i can rent or buy but the condos that you would like to buy are tied up in courts and the rent is very high compared to other community’s the old buildings in FSJ have no elevators so someone with mobility issues can’t rent or buy in them and any place they has two bath rooms have a tub in each why can’t one bathe room have a walk-in sit down shower and one have the tub the specialist situation is not good i’ve been waiting 2 months for a referral to a urologist and P G is not taking new patients so i asked to go south to Kamloops and they declined so i tried Edmonton and they said they aren’t taking out of province patients even though Mr Eby said Alberta and BC had an agreement for Alberta to take patients along the border so i’v been forced to make a very hard decision about my future we’ve decided to sell here in Ft St. john and buy in Edmonton
“This should never happen to citizens who have been paying taxes their whole lives,” Kealy said. “They’ve been committed to propping the government up, and it should be committed to them.” Completely accuratea & shameful our government has allowed this to happen :( I am 70 years old & have never been so disappointed in seeing what this country as allowed to happen :(