The Peace River Regional District has approved a $450,000 three-year grant to Northern Lights College, starting in 2024, with $150,000 to be given annually to help development local healthcare education and training programs.
The college requested the funding following a Jan. 11 PRRD board meeting, where they presented ‘NLC Cares’, their contribution to the Allied Healthcare Strategy, a provincial initiative geared at providing healthcare education opportunities across B.C.
The grant approval was made during the PRRD's Jan. 25 board meeting, and the majority of directors agreed that supporting program development could alleviate local healthcare recruitment and retention issues.
Electoral Area D Director Leonard Hiebert said developing local education programs is a positive and keeps students connected to the region.
“I feel very strongly that if we can train them here, they get their, you know, all their training within the hospitals that are locally, as well through the college,” he said. “They have that connection right out of right out of their graduation, and I feel that connection is what's gonna keep them in the area.”
Electoral Area E Director Dan Rose voted in opposition to the grant request, cautioning that it may not be appropriate for the PRRD to directly fund curriculum development, despite their previous successes in working with the college.
“I think this one, we're kinda stepping out into a a different lane when we're starting to pay to develop curriculum and so on,” he said. “Maybe there's a different way where we can incentivize this once it gets going, but I look at at what this is for, an admin person to develop programming. I think that's a little beyond to where we wanna be.”
Pouce Coupe Mayor Danielle Veach said it’s an opportunity to remedy issues with local healthcare, noting residents have brought forward many concerns.
“I feel that our communities and our public have reached out to us as their elected officials and have have brought forward many concerns regarding healthcare in the the northern region,” she said. “The wait times, the lack of staff, the burnout, and that we, as elected officials, need to do everything we can to support getting staff into our hospitals into our doctor's offices, into our emergency rooms.”
Dawson Creek Mayor Darcy Dober said granting the request would strengthen the region and give local youth something to look forward to.
“This gives hope to youth and something different that they can look at, and look forward to, and careers, right? And the win is is it will enhance our health care system,” he said.
Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen spoke in favour of the request, but wants to see local students prioritized as applicants once the programs are created, and have Northern Lights College provide an annual report on development.
"I am aware that there are students that do come into the Peace Region and then they do go home, after the wonderful training that we're able to give here. I would like to see that area residents have an opportunity first to apply on those programs," she said.
Electoral Area B Director Jordan Kealy said he'd also like to see updates as the programs are developed, noting the PPRD should emphasize how they're helping with local solutions.
"We really should incentivize the fact that the PRRD is working with local to make sure that our taxpayer dollars are going to something that will benefit this area related to health, especially when we see what condition our healthcare system is in right now," he said.
PRRD Chair Brad Sperling referenced their role in pushing for the Northern Baccalaureate Nursing Program, and noted that board is good at advocating.
"I mean, that's why we have a nursing program up in this area now,” he said. “It's just something we do. And if we gotta support financially to get it off the ground moving forward, it's still incumbent on us to advocate things."
