Canadian Cancer society to close Williams Lake, B.C., office

The Canadian Cancer Society will beshutting down its officein Williams Lake, B.C., next month after more thanthree decades in operation.

The society couldn'tjustify the high administrative costs given the demand for services in the community said Nancy Shelford, the northern B.C. volunteer engagement co-ordinator with the Canadian Cancer Society.

"Over time we've seen that the number of people who visit a physical office is declining because people get information much differently than they did a decade ago for example and we have to keep pace with that change," she said.

The office costs about $5,400 a year which equates to about 30 per cent of donations gathered in Williams Lake.

Shelford said that ratio is just too high for many donors to justify, especially giventhe 40 per cent rise in cancer cases that the societypredicts will happenby 2030.

Services need to be 'sustainable'

"This is a big change," said Shelford.

"We have to ensure that our services are sustainable and that we're directing as much money as possible into research."

She hopes the society will be able to find other ways to engage the current volunteers through avenues like outreach.

"I know that they care passionately about the cancer cause and they care about passionately about their community too," said Shelford.

Leeyann Allan has been volunteering with the society since 2005 when her grandmother was dying of cancer.

This year, she was diagnosed with the disease herself and said her work with the society has helped her in her journey.

"So many people have come to me being so scared and wanting reassurance and [being] unsure of where to go to get help for me, I knew all those answers," said Allan.

• Cancer Society spends more on fundraising than research
• 1 in 2 Canadians will get cancer: Cancer Society
• Kamloops Big Brothers Big Sisters to cease operations, Okanagan branch will take over

Allan said she is sad to see the office close, but is happy that people in Williams Lake will still be able to access Canadian Cancer Society services online and by phone.

The Williams Lake office is set to closeon Dec. 22, 2017.