Three years and $10 million in donations later, an expanded oncology department hailed by healthcare professionals as game-changing has opened inside Penticton Regional Hospital.
The cancer clinic 鈥� set to deliver shorter wait times, increased privacy, new equipment, dedicated areas for staff training, and enclosed treatment rooms 鈥� will see its first patients on June 23, said Interior Health (IH) executive director of South Okanagan clinical operations Madeline Csillag-Wong, following a multi-year fundraising campaign that crossed the finish line in May 2025.
"This is a day that we've been waiting to come for quite some time," added IH's vice-president of clinical operations Diane Shendruk on June 19, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the unit. "The newly-expanded oncology clinic will meet the increasing demand for cancer services in the South Okanagan-Similkameen for years to come."
The facility is located on the third floor of the hospital and opened after the successful $10 million fundraising pledge from the South Okanagan-Similkameen (SOS) Medical Foundation.
Ian Lindsay, CEO of the medical foundation, acknowledged donors from across the region that "made this dream a reality."
He added a thrift shop in Summerland, aided by the work of hundreds of volunteers, was among the campaign's largest donors.
"The community came together to show that a little bit can make a big difference," Lindsay said.
The new clinic is three times larger than the hospital's old oncology department, said Vernon-Lumby MLA Harwinder Sandhu. It also features more exam rooms, washrooms, double the nursing staff and additional personnel in pharmacy and social services.
"The facility offers patients with great privacy, which is very important, shorter wait times, and access to cutting-edge treatment right here in the South Okanagan," said Sandhu, who also works for IH, at Thursday's ceremony.
"Even though I'm from Vernon-Lumby, whenever I advocate, I advocate for the entire region because we are one family."
The expansion project cost a total of $22 million. Along with the $10 million in donations, remaining costs were shared between the province, Interior Health and Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Hospital District (OSRHD).
Josie Osborne, B.C.'s Minister of Health, called the facility a "modern clinic" that will help patients and their loved ones heal.
"The upgraded space will support collaborative, team-based care leading to better outcomes for patients and a better work environment for care providers," Osbourne said.
In the fall of 2022, donations toward the SOS Medical Foundation for the expanded oncology department began to pour in, shortly after the B.C. government announced it would support the project.
Among its early donors was Gerry Turchak, owner of 44-year-old Penticton business Brutus Bodies by Nor-Mar Industries.
"It turned out beautiful, very nice," Turchak said of the finished cancer clinic. "Cancer has touched me and my family personally, so it's a pleasure to work on a project that's affected us."
Oliver Mayor Martin Johansen, chair of the OSRHD, said the clinic will play a "critical" role in helping meet the healthcare needs of the region.
"It will also allow residents to access the care they need closer to home," added Johansen, who was joined by OSRHD vice-chair and Keremeos Rural/Hedley Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen director Tim Roberts.
Thursday's ceremony also featured words from Penticton Indian Band Chief Greg Gabriel, who called it a "great" day for the community, and an opening prayer from Elder Margaret Baptiste.
