Cancer patients in the Alberni Valley and nearby Nuu-chah-nulth communities will have access to chemotherapy and other treatments much closer to home starting in 2028, as planning moves ahead for a new oncology clinic at Island Health‘s West Coast General Hospital.
The new Community Oncology Network site will operate three days a week and is expected to spare hundreds of residents the gruelling drives to Nanaimo or Victoria they currently face. Each year, more than 250 people in the Alberni-Clayoquot region are diagnosed with cancer and must travel outside the valley for care.
The push for a local clinic gained urgency during the 2023 Cameron Bluffs wildfire. When Highway 4 shut down, Island Health and BC Cancer scrambled to set up a temporary chemotherapy unit at the hospital, flying in specialists so that treatment could continue. That experience made it clear a permanent solution was needed.
Funding is being driven by the community. The West Coast General Hospital Foundation is leading a $1.23-million renovation campaign, and the WCGH Hospital Auxiliary has pledged $120,000. The clinic will not offer radiation therapy; patients who need it will still travel, though a new $311-million BC Cancer centre with radiation services is also under construction in Nanaimo and set to open in 2028.
For Tseshaht First Nation, the impact is deeply personal. Chief Councillor Ken Watts’ mother, Matilda Atleo, was diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2026. Tseshaht member Mike Lambert has been making countless trips for treatment since 2019. On June 7, 2026, the community held a Head Shave 4 Cancer Fundraiser that raised more than $5,600 to help cover travel expenses for six members fighting the disease.
