Lakes District Hospital: 1960–2025

Overcrowded and outdated by the mid-1950s, the 19-bed Burns Lake Hospital at the corner of Alaska Way and Fourth Avenue needed replacement if it was to continue providing quality health care in a growing community. Fundraising began in 1956, with the village council pledging to match donations. Service clubs, church groups, First Nations, and countless volunteers joined in, raising more than $10,000 by the end of the year.

The new Lakes District Hospital, located five blocks north of the old one at 741 Center Street in Burns Lake, opened on August 15, 1960, with 36 beds – about twice as many as its predecesssor. Within days, the first baby was born there, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Tom Simpson of Burns Lake.

Raising funds for equipment and comforts, the Burns Lake & District Hospital Auxiliary remained a key player in health care delivery. In 1966, it launched the Candy Striper program for teenage volunteers. The Candy Stripers’ pink-and-white uniforms became a familiar sight in the halls of the new hospital.

By the late 1960s, the hospital was frequently operating at capacity. Planning began on an expansion, though not without setbacks. At one point, the province vetoed the idea of adding to the facility. Yet thanks to residents’ persistence, the addition finally opened in September 1971. It increased the hospital’s capacity significantly.

By the 2000s, however, it was clear that the 1960 building was approaching the end of its life. Plumbing and electrical systems were outdated and sometimes failed; the old building’s narrow hallways could not accommodate modern equipment. For a decade, local officials, the hospital board, and a succession of local Members of the Legislative Assembly wrote letters, signed petitions, and met with provincial ministers of health in hopes of getting a new health care facility.

The tragic explosion and fire at Babine Forest Products Ltd. on Jan. 20, 2012, added impetus to the community’s lobbying efforts. Three months later, the province announced plans to replace the 52-year-old hospital.

“This is a long-awaited day for Burns Lake,” Health Minister Mike de Jong declared in announcing the project, adding that it would “deliver a modern facility the community has worked so hard for.”

​The PCL Constructors West Coast Inc. broke ground for the new Lakes District Hospital & Health Centre in April 2013. The $55-million facility, located just north of the previous hospital, officially opened on January 22, 2015, and began accepting patients in February. It has 16 beds and provides acute care, emergency services, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory services. An in-house medical clinic offers primary and outpatient care, assistance with mental health and addictions, and other much-needed services. Yet unlike its predecessors, it does not offer full maternity or operating services, a reflection of the staffing challenges faced by small rural and remote communities like Burns Lake. A few children have been born in the new hospital since it opened, but only in emergencies. Expectant moms must now travel to larger centres to give birth.

The Lakes District Hospital & Health Centre is proof that rural hospitals survive through the determination and tenacity of the people they serve.