Can the B.C. health care system withstand the retirement of baby boom generation? A B.C. legislature committee is trying to find the answers.

Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick, chair of the all-party committee, said its goal is to sort through different projections of the largest wave of retirement ever. The post-war generation officially begins reaching retirement age in 2012, continuing to 2036.

“As the boomers move through, there are differences of opinion in the literature and in the public as to what kind of impact those boomers are going to have,” Letnick said. “Some believe that it’s going to be a little bit more money, a little increase in GDP. Others believe that the system is not sustainable.”

The committee is accepting academic studies and other research papers until Jan. 13 for the first phase of its work, assessing the impact. It will then outline alternative strategies to cope with the increased demand, and identify public response to the different proposals.