Recent changes in BC’s political landscape bring renewed attention to the importance of a strong, consistent voice for community hospice palliative care and grief and bereavement supports.

Peter Milobar now leads CentreBC, which lists eight sitting MLAs among its team. The realignment changes the political relationships through which community organizations can raise priorities and inform policy. View CentreBC’s current leadership and MLA team.

Discussion of a possible early provincial election is also increasing. BCHPCA is monitoring developments, while distinguishing speculation from a formal election call. Members can consult Elections BC for official election information.

Why this matters to hospice societies

Political change can affect the timing of policy discussions, funding decisions and opportunities to engage elected representatives. It makes it especially important that decision-makers understand how hospice societies support people living with serious illness, caregivers and those experiencing grief.

For BCHPCA, the priorities remain clear:

• Sustainable community services: Funding that supports continuity, trained staff and volunteers, and dependable access to care.
• Access close(r) to home: Recognition of the barriers faced across rural hubs, remote and small-urban communities.
• Grief and bereavement support: Recognition of these services as an essential part of health care and community well-being.
• Support for caregivers: Practical help for families navigating serious illness, dying and loss.

BCHPCA’s advocacy remains nonpartisan and grounded in the experiences of our members and the communities they serve.

Help bring your community’s experience into the conversation

What is the most pressing issue you want provincial decision-makers to understand?

We invite member societies and the public to share a brief example of an unmet need, a service pressure or a local solution that deserves attention. This might include transportation barriers, caregiver strain, demand for grief support or the challenges of sustaining services with uncertain funding.

Please share examples without identifying clients or families. Your insights can help strengthen BCHPCA’s provincial advocacy and show what access to compassionate care means in everyday life.

Send your local priorities to BCHPCA through your usual association contact or for the general public via our office@bchpca.org email.

As the political landscape develops, our focus remains on ensuring that people facing serious illness, caregiving and grief can access the support they need in their communities.

BCHPCA Team