About 100 supporters gathered at Sunset Ranch Golf and Country Club on Oct. 19 as BC Conservative candidates from across the Okanagan joined interim leader Lorne Doerkson for a Kelowna rally focused on health-care capacity, public safety and provincial taxation.
Local incident frames health-care criticism
The event opened with remarks from Kelowna-Mission candidate Gavin Dew, who referenced the Oct. 16 collapse of outgoing Kelowna city councillor Maxine DeHart — an incident that occurred the day before the municipal election and drew criticism of emergency response times.
“She had fallen, she was bleeding and she was hurt… We waited 50 minutes for an ambulance… but that’s the healthcare system that David Eby has given us,” Dew said.
According to coverage of the rally, DeHart’s weakness followed a plasma donation earlier that day; by the evening of Oct. 19 she was reported to be sitting near the stage and appeared to be doing well.
Party promises and provincial context
Doerkson used the Kelowna platform to outline health-care measures he says the BC Conservatives would pursue if elected, including a proposed $50-million fund intended to keep emergency rooms open across British Columbia. He also said the party would institute security for nursing staff to enhance workplace safety.
Those proposals were presented in contrast to the B.C. NDP’s commitments, which the party advertises as including the creation of more than a dozen new urgent and primary care centres and efforts to recruit more physicians from abroad.
- $50-million fund to keep emergency rooms open (announced by Lorne Doerkson)
- Security measures for nursing staff to improve safety on the job
- Priorities to hire more police and judges; opposition to planned PST expansion
Doerkson also critiqued the B.C. NDP’s fiscal approach, rejecting accusations — reported during the rally — that Conservatives plan to cut health spending by reducing contingency funds used for unexpected health costs and provincial emergencies such as wildfires. "He says his party will not cut healthcare," coverage noted.
Taxes, public safety and campaign messaging
Beyond health care, Doerkson told the Kelowna audience his party would prioritise hiring police and judges and oppose the provincial sales tax expansion proposed by B.C. NDP leader David Eby, which would have added PST to some professional services. While the PST expansion had been paused and was not implemented Oct. 1, Doerkson framed the measure as an attack on businesses.
Speeches at the rally repeatedly returned to themes likely to resonate in the Okanagan: concerns about emergency-room access in a region that faces seasonal pressures on health services, worries about workplace safety for nurses, and apprehension among some business owners about tax changes.
Local reaction at the event was visible: supporters cheered Doerkson on his arrival shortly after 7 p.m., and DeHart’s presence at the rally after her collapse that week was highlighted by speakers as evidence of personal resilience and as a touchstone for health-care criticisms.
As the provincial election approaches, the Kelowna gathering underscored how personal experiences and regional strains on emergency services can shape campaign narratives. The Conservatives’ promise of a dedicated emergency-room fund and enhanced security for health workers offers a concrete policy pitch; however, it is one of several competing proposals on health care being advanced across parties during this campaign.
| Item | What was announced |
|---|---|
| Emergency-room fund | $50 million to keep ERs open (announced by BC Conservatives) |
| Nursing staff safety | Security measures for nursing staff on the job |
| Other priorities | Hiring police and judges; opposition to PST expansion |
With the provincial election on the horizon, Kelowna residents will be watching whether party promises translate into detailed plans and funding commitments, and whether regional hospitals and emergency services receive targeted support to address wait-times and seasonal demand.
Reporting for the rally noted competing claims from the NDP about contingency-fund reductions and the Conservatives’ denial that they would cut health spending; such fiscal claims and counterclaims are likely to be scrutinized by voters weighing health-care capacity alongside tax and public-safety proposals.
