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Okanagan Mayors to Bring Mandatory Care Facility Pitch to Province at UBCM
The mayors say the underused jail could be repurposed for secure care beds as provincial demand for treatment grows.
- Regional political leaders, including Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas and Osoyoos Indian Band Mary Wilbur, will gather Friday at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver to express their support for involuntary care beds.
- Built in 2016 for about $200 million, the facility has a capacity for 378 beds and is currently underutilized, making it a viable site for mandatory mental health and substance treatment.
- Throughout the year, Dyas and other regional leaders, including West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom and Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield, have consistently pushed for repurposing the Oliver site to address regional care gaps.
- Seeking to support individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others, the group requested a meeting with Dr. Daniel Vigo, the Premier's Chief Scientific Advisor for Psychiatry, Toxic Drugs and Concurrent Disorders.
- Local leaders argue that repurposing existing infrastructure provides a dignified, secure, and immediate solution; advancing the Oliver site remains a priority for the mayors and the Osoyoos Indian Band.
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14 Articles
14 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left13Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution93% Left
Bias Distribution
- 93% of the sources lean Left
93% Left
L 93%
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