Phase 1 of Community Health Centre Expansion Begins on Salt Spring Island
Salt Spring Island, B.C. — October 24, 2025 — Following nearly two years of planning and partnership-building, the Island Community Clinic Society (ICCS), in collaboration with the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation (LMHF), is launching Phase 1 of a major initiative to expand primary care capacity on Salt Spring Island.
In response to the critical shortage of family doctors and primary care providers, the project aims to attract and retain practitioners by transforming the existing Salt Spring Island Health Centre into a modern, non-profit, team-based community health centre, significantly expanding the primary care capacity on Salt Spring Island and adding new health services.
An expanded clinic with a new model of care will increase access to primary care while also relieving pressure on Lady Minto Hospital. By diverting non-emergency visits and increasing the pool of physicians available to staff the Emergency Department, the project supports both primary and emergency care.
Team-based community health centres — where physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, and mental health clinicians work together under one roof — are recognized by the BC Ministry of Health as the province’s preferred model for improving access, continuity, and patient outcomes. This structure also strengthens recruitment efforts, as new practitioners can join an established clinic rather than build an independent business.
Concrete progress is already underway. Funding from both the Salt Spring Island Foundation and the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation has secured the first year of an Executive Director who will lead the next phase of development. ICCS has also invested in business planning and model-of-care design, drawing on successful examples from other communities — including Whistler 360 — and adapting them to Salt Spring Island’s unique needs.
Phase 1: Planning, Design & Community Governance
This first phase will focus on:
- Hiring of an Executive Director to oversee the next phase of development
- Architectural design and site planning for the preferred King’s Lane expansion
- Permitting, feasibility, and cost validation
- Formation of the ICCS community-led Board of Directors
- Finalization of a sustainable business and operating plan
- Ongoing engagement with local physicians, Primary Care Network, Divisions of Family Practice, local government and residents
The current Salt Spring Island Health Center location on King’s Lane remains the leading candidate, backed by the Gulf Island Seniors Residence Associations’s commitment to long-term tenure. However, ICCS and LMHF acknowledge that, as with any infrastructure development, final site confirmation depends on permitting and feasibility. Presently, an application is before the Islands Trust to lift the restriction on the number of practitioners and allow for a subdivision of the site. Alternate options will be pursued only if required.
Why This Matters
- Half of Salt Spring residents lack a local family doctor
- ~2,000 people leave the island for basic care
- ~4,000 have no primary care access at all
- Local emergency staff are under strain as residents turn to the ER for non-emergency needs
“Since arriving on Salt Spring, I’ve watched our physician-to-population ratio decline due to two major barriers: insufficient clinic space and an outdated model that forces doctors to juggle admin, HR, accounting to operate a clinic. In addition, due to lack of support, physicians are practicing beyond their core training into areas like social work. By expanding our facilities and shifting to a team-based, professionally managed clinic, we can address these factors while providing better care for more people. Our vision is to make Salt Spring a flagship for modern primary care in B.C.”
— Christopher Applewhaite, Chair, Island Community Clinic Society
Phase 2 & 3 — What Comes Next
| Phase | Focus | Timeline (Est.) |
| Phase 1 – Planning, Design & Early fundraising (Current) | Design, permitting, business plan, governance setup. Contract an executive director for ICCS. | Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 |
| Phase 2 – Capital Campaign & Construction Readiness | Secure building permits, finalize funding, begin mobilization | Early-Mid 2026 |
| Phase 3 – Construction & Service Expansion | Build, recruit, and launch expanded services | Late 2026–2028 |
“Everyone deserves primary care. Prevention and early support aren’t luxuries — they are the foundation of a healthy community. Expanding primary care isn’t just about improving the health system, it’s about supporting our neighbours, friends, and families in real and tangible ways. Our goal is simple: the right care, available when people need it most. This expansion is the single most powerful step we can take toward that commitment.”
— Eric Jacobsen, Executive Director, Lady Minto Hospital Foundation
How to Support Phase 1
To advance the expansion of Primary Care on Salt Spring Island, $600,000 has already been raised through the LMHF Primary Care Fund, with a total project target of $3.5 million.
Community members are invited to contribute to Phase 1 and help move the project toward shovel-ready status.
Donate at:
https://ladymintofoundation.com/projects/primarycare/
Media Contact
Rebecca Smyth
Admin and Communications Coordinator
Lady Minto Hospital Foundation
250-931-1888
contact@ladymintofoundation.com