B.C. nurses expand pickets to Surrey hospital and the nearby surgery centre

Members of the B.C. Nurses' Union participate in job action outside of Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

SURREY — British Columbia nurses have set up pickets at two Metro Vancouver health facilities, just days after protesters rallied at Vancouver General Hospital.

The BC Nurses’ Union says picket lines are up at Surrey Memorial Hospital and just blocks away at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre.

Union president Adriane Gear will attend the line at the hospital today alongside Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions president Linda Silas.

Gear has said the union is prepared to escalate job action if no progress is made at the bargaining table.

Nurses have been refusing non-nursing duties, and the union has filed a complaint with the provincial labour board for what Gear described as “intimidation” and “bullying” from their employers.

The employers’ association has said it is not directing employees to perform duties outside their roles, and it has asked the union for details on the alleged cases of intimidation to address those concerns.

Nurses began job action last Thursday after members rejected a tentative agreement reached by negotiators last month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2026.