A coalition of elected officials from across British Columbia gathered Monday to demand “urgent action” from the federal government on issues of public safety, mental health and drug addictions – including funding for the province’s planned expansion of involuntary care.
Speaking outside Vancouver city hall, the group also reiterated calls for further bail reform measures targeting repeat offenders and asked for a policing crackdown at Metro Vancouver’s ports to help stem the flow of deadly drugs into the region.
“Our current system has failed British Columbians and their families for decades,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.
“It has failed those who have been victims of random attacks and it has failed those who’ve been struggling with severe mental health and addiction challenges, and we can’t afford to let this continue any longer. We can’t afford to let people fall through the cracks.”
Sim appeared alongside Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow, West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager, District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little, Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart, Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West, Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas, Prince George Mayor Simon Yu, Squamish Coun. Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams and other politicians, as well as the chief of the Vancouver Police Department and the president of the Canadian Police Association.
Sim called the coalition a group of “caring individuals from across the political spectrum” who have joined together to address systemic issues in their communities.
INVOLUNTARY CARE
The officials called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to back plans announced by B.C. Premier David Eby over the weekend to open “highly secure” involuntary care facilities across the province, beginning with a site on the grounds of the Alouette Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge, and to either “modernize” or add upward of 400 mental health beds that can also be used for mandated care.
“The provincial government’s willingness to partner with us on public safety by pivoting on policies like decriminalization and now the mental health and addiction crisis shows a commitment to real change,” Sim said. “Make no mistake about this – this is an incredibly vital step forward.”
There has been controversy around the idea of mandated care, but Dr. Daniel Vigo – who was appointed B.C.’s first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders – suggested there is a small cohort of patients suffering from the “clinical triad” of mental illness, addiction and brain injury who could benefit from the program.
“No one should be treated involuntarily that doesn’t absolutely need to, and no one should be excluded from the services and medication they require to stay alive and keep the community safe when they are too mentally impaired to seek them out themselves,” he said Sunday.
BAIL REFORMS
Addressing the issue of repeat offenders, Chief Const. Adam Palmer of the Vancouver police suggested more action is needed to keep potentially dangerous suspects off the streets, despite federal bail reform measures passed late last year.
While the city’s crime rates have been improving – with decreases to violent crime, property crime and overall crime – Palmer called those statistics “cold comfort” to victims, pointing to the disturbing stranger attack on Sept. 4 that left one person dead and another with a severed hand.
“We know that all of these things impact our sense of well-being and safety, and can cause fear in our communities,” he said.
“We need to stop the revolving door of justice, the catch-and-release system that we sometimes see that allows repeat, violent and chronic offenders to be released from custody when they are still a threat to our communities.”
PORT POLICING
The coalition also urged the federal government to implement what the Vancouver mayor called “actual policing” at local ports, in an effort to address the influx of toxic drugs and precursor chemicals.
While acknowledging the ongoing work of the Canada Border Services Agency, Palmer said there is a chronic lack of resources for law enforcement at the country’s ports.
“We do need more police presence down there, and what I’m talking about is not police officers in marked cards driving around,” Palmer said. “What I’m talking about is officers behind the scenes, working on undercover operations, working on large projects, dealing with organized crime.”
POLITICAL PRESSURE
The demands come weeks before the province’s Oct. 19 election, and on the day federal politicians returned to the House of Commons for the fall sitting under a new threat of an early general election.
CTV News contacted Trudeau’s office for a response to the coalition’s concerns, and was given statements from the federal Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the Ministry of Justice.
The former pointed to the Emergency Treatment Fund, included in Canada’s 2024 budget, that promised to provide municipalities and Indigenous communities with support to “build capacity for enhanced access to culturally appropriate, trauma-informed, evidence-based substance use treatment, harm reduction and integrated services.”
“Provinces and territories are the primary deliverer of healthcare in Canada and as such are best placed to identify the needs of their population and how care should be delivered to be the most effective,” the ministry said.
In a separate statement, the press secretary for Justice Minister and Attorney General Arif Virani pointed to last year’s bail reforms, and suggested more action was needed at the provincial level.
“We listened to the provinces and territories when they asked for changes to the Criminal Code—now they need to step up and enforce the law, which falls within their sphere of jurisdiction,” said Chantelle Aubertin.
“Provinces, including B.C., are responsible for the administration of bail, and more needs to be done to make sure police and prosecutors have the tools they need for effective monitoring and enforcement.”
The press secretary noted that provincially appointed judges make bail decisions, and provincially appointed Crown prosecutors have the ability to initiate a bail review to challenge those decisions.
Sim acknowledged politicians at every level face an uphill battle tackling the trio of entrenched issues, but said he believes B.C. voters “want change” from their government.
“We’re talking about a humanitarian crisis here,” he said. “This thing is addressable. Is it 100 per cent solvable? Absolutely not. But can we make a meaningful impact on it? Absolutely.”
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Lisa Steacy and St. John Alexander