qathet Regional Hospital District board is supportive of applications by Miklat Recovery Society and Foundry qathet to be designated as healthcare facilities.
At the June 24 hospital board meeting, the board also voted to request a meeting with minister of health Josie Osborne at the 2025 Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention to discuss the designation of healthcare facilities and cost-sharing agreements.
Both Miklat Recovery Society and Foundry qathet are seeking hospital district funding to complete capital projects.
City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott said that Powell River Community Forest has already provided a fair amount of funding to Miklat.
“They [Miklat] are requiring additional funds,” said Elliott “The community forest has not recommended them for more funding at this time. The community forest is aware that it is coming before the qathet Hospital District. The community forest is at the end of what they can do for Miklat. Some other funders need to step up.
“It’s a bit of an offload from the province, which will fund treatment, but but not in places where the treatment takes place.”
Electoral Area B director and board chair Mark Gisborne said Miklat was about $550,000 over budget to finish its treatment facility project. He said his understanding is that it has to be a healthcare facility to receive funding from the hospital district and Miklat currently does not have that designation.
Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox asked which hospital district funds were designated to provide funding to healthcare facilities. Manager of financial services Celinde Lillies said there is $7.9 million in a reserve for this purpose.
City of Powell River director Rob Southcott asked if the hospital board could commit any funds to Miklat if it isn’t clear if it is a healthcare facility. He was advised that it could not.
Elliott said that perhaps the board could refer the matter to staff to determine the healthcare facility status of both organizations. She said Foundry qathet believes it is a healthcare facility, but it needs to be verified.
Lennox said there is an healthcare facility application underway by Miklat and the board should support that application. Lennox made a motion to support Miklat and Foundry’s applications to be healthcare facilities. The motion carried.
Lennox then made a motion for a meeting with the health minister at the 2025 UBCM convention to discuss the designation of healthcare facilities and cost-sharing agreements. The motion carried unanimously.
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