π¨ A Nursing Shortage… and We Cancel Training? π¨
In the middle of a health-care crisis, a college in Vancouver is cancelling a nursing program intake.
Let that sink in.
We are short on nurses across Canada.
Hospitals are stretched. Wait times are growing. Staff are burned out.
And instead of expanding training?
We cut it.
π° The estimated cost to run a nursing cohort:
Roughly $1.5M–$3M per year
π About $6M–$12M over 4 years
Now compare that to what we do fund:
π Fireworks: millions per event
πΆ Festivals: millions per year
We can find money for entertainment.
But not for the people who keep others alive?
And here’s the deeper issue no one wants to say out loud:
We brought in thousands of international students—many into business programs—not into the fields we actually need.
At the same time, generations of caregivers—many from the Philippines, highly trained nurses and doctors in their home country—have spent decades doing physically demanding work here.
Now they are retiring.
Many are dealing with their own health issues.
And who replaces them?
Who is stepping in?
This is not about blaming students.
This is not about blaming workers.
This is about planning.
This is about priorities.
This is about accountability.
Because right now, the system looks like this:
➡️ We know there’s a shortage
➡️ We know it’s getting worse
➡️ And we reduce the pipeline anyway
That’s not just short-sighted.
It’s dangerous.
If we can spend millions on short-term events,
we can invest in long-term care.
Train the nurses.
Support the instructors.
Fix the bottlenecks.
Because one day, every one of us—or someone we love—will need care.
And there may not be enough people left to give it.
#HealthcareCrisis #NursingShortage #Vancouver #Canada #PublicHealth #Accountability #InvestInCare #RealityCheck
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