Peace River North MLA criticizes healthcare gaps in 2026 budget

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy says the province’s 2026 budget fails to meet the needs of the region.

Kealy spoke in opposition to the budget in the B.C. legislature on February 25th, arguing it overlooks the realities facing residents in Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, Taylor and Hudson’s Hope.

“I rise in opposition to this budget … not from a spreadsheet perspective, from a lived perspective,” Kealy said. 

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“Budgets don’t show up in people’s lives as line items. They show up as whether you can find a doctor … whether your community still has jobs.”

Healthcare was a central focus of his remarks. Kealy said residents served by Northern Health are experiencing a “breaking, if not already broken” system, pointing to emergency department closures, long travel times for treatment and specialist shortages.

Kealy referenced a freedom of information (FOI) request that found approximately 80 Northern Health patients died while on waitlists between 2024 and 2025.

He also criticized the removal of a targeted completion date for the proposed long-term care facility in Fort St. John.

“In plain language, the project is being placed on an indefinite hold,” Kealy said. “That is not planning, that’s abandonment.”

Although the project was delayed, the province announced the expansion of its Long-term Care at Home program on February 20th.

On youth mental health, Kealy said Peace River North lacks adequate supports, noting the region does not have a child psychiatrist.

“Our children deserve better than that,” he said. “Families deserve to know that when their child is in crisis, there is somewhere to turn. Right now, too often there isn’t.”

Finance minister Brenda Bailey introduced the budget on February 17th. The main budget document can be viewed here.