$600,000 severance pay for former Fraser Health CEO

The B.C. branch of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says it is unacceptable that the former CEO of Fraser Health will receive a $600,000 severance payout after she was fired earlier this year.

As documents indicate, which were posted online on Monday by Fraser Health, the B.C. government approved the severance payout for Dr. Victoria Lee.

Additionally, the publicly accessible documents reveal that Lee also receives a vacation payout of about $52,000.

Carson Binda, the Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation in B.C., says hearing the numbers is a tough pill to swallow as many British Columbians struggle to make ends meet.

“When that is the economic reality for most British Columbian families right now, it is unacceptable for these kinds of executives to be getting the royal treatment on the taxpayer’s dime,” Binda said.

Lee left Fraser Health in February 2025

Former CEO Lee and Fraser Health parted ways in February 2025 after the provincial health authority said that both parties had come to a “mutual decision.”

However, Lee’s departure came after months of criticism around how Fraser Health dealt with long wait times in Emergency Rooms (ER).

Among others, incidents include two overnight closures earlier this year of the emergency room in Delta, along with warnings from physicians of a “crisis” at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

Politicians in Delta said it is alarming and unacceptable to see ER closures in an urban centre like the Lower Mainland.

The documents reveal that the money will be paid over the next 18 months.

Binda criticizes the government and the health authorities for the payouts, as the money could be used to improve the healthcare system.

“We all know that B.C.’s healthcare system, including Fraser Health, is in freefall right now,” Binda explained.

“And every dollar that goes towards these kinds of outrageously high golden parachutes is money that is not going towards fixing the problems at Fraser Health.”

The British Columbia Conservative Party is not happy with Lee’s severance payout either.

The opposition is accusing the NDP government of putting executives before patients and front-line workers.

In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio, Fraser Health spokesperson Amory Wong said that Lee’s compensation is based on “earned benefits”.

Additionally, the health authority ensures that its employment standards, privacy legislation, and principles of procedural fairness strictly follow federal and provincial laws.