Royal Inland Hospital.

(ASHLEY LEGASSIC - REPORTER / iNFOnews.ca)

Renovations at Royal Inland Hospital went way over budget last year, and that work is expected to last another two years.

Emergency department upgrades in Kamloops are now expected to be finished by 2027, which includes a massive rebuild and expansion of the entire unit. It's a year beyond what was previously planned.

Hospital executive Gerry Desilets said construction in the main emergency area bed space will end by next summer, followed by the trauma bay in 2027.

"We'll see construction crews in (emergency) for the next couple years, but we're three years into these renovations and it was always a five year plan," he said.

In that time, hospital visitors have seen construction crews working within and in front of the emergency department almost daily, but it's not the only area of the hospital seeing improvements. It's part of a wider renovation project, deemed the second phase of a more than $400 million investment at Interior Health's second-largest hospital.

The new Gaglardi Tower opened in 2022, marking the end of the first phase of Royal Inland construction. After renovations began, Interior Health's re-examined budget added $40 million to the total six years after it was last tallied in 2016.

"We try really hard to be fiscally responsible and we really work on being smart with the dollars taxpayers are giving us," Desilet said, speaking with iNFOnews.ca about the emergency department expansion.

He added the improvements are not only beneficial for patients but also for staff, both for recruitment and retaining those already on staff.

Thompson Regional Hospital District chair Mike O'Reilly said the expansion hasn't been without speed bumps, but he's looking forward to its completion.

"Certainly when going through renovations, there are always challenges when you're working on a very old building and not building something new," he said.

Along with the emergency department, the work also includes other hospital areas like the pediatric unit and the morgue.

All of that work and the more than $400 million budget is separate from the upcoming cancer centre, which is expected to see construction start next month.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2025