When the mayor of Colwood B.C., went for an appointment with his family doctor in 2022, he was in for a rude surprise. The doctor was moving away.

"I was absolutely stunned," Doug Kobayashi said.

Kobayashi, who's been mayor of the city near Victoria since 2022, could have waited for the B.C government to eventually step in with a plan to attract doctors.

But he didn't. Instead, he stepped up with a solution of his own that could create a blueprint for other communities across the country struggling to attract and retain family doctors.

"Here's the bottom line — making it as simple [for the doctor] as possible," he said.

Kobayashi's idea was straightforward. After talking to doctors in 2022 about what was important to them, many said less paperwork, more financial stability and a bett

See Full Page