Chinese insurance firm taking over B.C. retirement homes

Editor: The issue of problems with the quality of care in senior facilities has been widely reported in the last year, which has been confirmed by a report from the B.C. senior advocate.

As a result of these reports, the citizens of B.C. have been expecting some news of improvements concerning staffing levels, enforcement procedures and enhanced training.

But instead, we have been informed that the Liberal B.C. and federal governments have approved the takeover of Retirement Concepts senior facilities by a foreign company that has been reported in a Globe and Mail story as having a “murky ownership structure” and no experience with senior care.

An investigation into Anbang Insurance has found this company’s interest is in acquiring Canadian land, not in the structure that may be upon it. Recent negotiations with China by Christy Clark and Justin Trudeau are common knowledge. Whether selling our land to the Chinese is a good move or not is debatable.

But there can be no doubt that selling the care of our seniors to a foreign country is not.

This takeover will put China in control of 10 per cent of residential care beds in B.C.

Would the taxpayers of B.C. approve of this takeover? Who knows? The Liberal government didn’t bother to ask.

Judy Galley, Sorrento