Close X
Saturday, November 9, 2024
ADVT 
National

Involuntary mental health care must be 'dignified and humane,' B.C. premier says

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 06 Sep, 2024 04:28 PM
  • Involuntary mental health care must be 'dignified and humane,' B.C. premier says

People struggling with brain injuries, addictions and mental health issues need "dignified and humane" support services if they're committed against their will, and B.C. Premier David Eby says the government is putting its faith in a recently appointed adviser to make those services a reality. 

Eby said Friday that his government is working on a strategy about involuntary care, speaking days after a deadly attack in downtown Vancouver that left one man dead.

Eby said the 2012 closure of Riverview mental health hospital in Coquitlam put vulnerable people on the streets without adequate supports, especially on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, where he used to work. 

"I watched them go downhill and die," he said. "It's horrific and tragic and I think we can do better and I think we can do it in a way that's humane and respectful."

He said the work of Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.’s chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders, will inform upcoming plans to be revealed in the near future. 

Eby said there's still a place for involuntary care in B.C., but "warehousing people" isn't enough without adequate supports that "hopefully helps them get back on their own feet." 

"I think all of us see that there are people in the community who are not able to look after themselves, who are either being exploited, or who in turn are injuring or threatening the safety of other people," he said. 

Vancouver's Chief Constable Adam Palmer said this week that police were looking into whether mental health was a factor in two attacks on Wednesday in downtown Vancouver that left 70-year-old Francis David Laporte dead and another man with a severed hand. Police said the attacks were random. 

Brendan Colin McBride, 34, has been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault, and Palmer said the suspect was "a very troubled man who has a lengthy history of mental-health related incidents." 

Palmer said people with mental health and addiction issues need more government supports to deal with "upstream drivers" of problematic behaviours that result in clashes with police. 

"But there are also people with mental health issues who are extremely dangerous that we need to be afraid of, and we need to have institutionalized, and this person, in my estimation, is going to fall into that category," Palmer said. 

Speaking at an election campaign event in Vancouver on Friday, Eby said the province was working with Vigo on a system of care to address both community safety concerns and the needs of people in mental distress. 

Eby said involuntary mental health care requires a "full solution," which entails having the mental health professionals who can provide care and supportive programs to allow them to deliver it. 

He said it was up to Vigo to "knit all these pieces together," and said more information about such a plan will come next week. 

Other politicians in B.C. have weighed in on the closure of Riverview since last week's attacks in Vancouver. 

Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said online that "closing Riverview Hospital was a historically stupid decision."

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada to restrict low-wage foreign workers, consider lower immigration targets

Canada to restrict low-wage foreign workers, consider lower immigration targets
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging businesses to hire Canadians as his government announces new restrictions to limit the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers in the country. Ottawa is also considering whether to reduce its annual targets for permanent residency — a potentially major shift on immigration policy for the Liberals.

Canada to restrict low-wage foreign workers, consider lower immigration targets

Canada's two major railways resume service as railroaders return to work

Canada's two major railways resume service as railroaders return to work
Trains began to trundle along the tracks of Canada's two major railways on Monday after the federal labour board ended a four-day work stoppage that snarled supply chains and upended commutes. Amid a bitter labour dispute, the Canada Industrial Relations Board on Saturday ordered Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. to resume operations and 9,300 workers to return to their posts at 12:01 a.m. ahead of binding arbitration set to begin this week.

Canada's two major railways resume service as railroaders return to work

Strike threat looms in HandyDART dispute as union vote suspends job action

Strike threat looms in HandyDART dispute as union vote suspends job action
Potential disruption to British Columbia's HandyDART transit service this morning was averted after workers suspended job action to vote on a final contract offer, but strike action remains a possibility. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724 says it will give a 72-hour strike notice if the membership votes down the latest offer by Transdev Canada.

Strike threat looms in HandyDART dispute as union vote suspends job action

Crews face tree danger from high winds as B.C. wildfires abate due to precipitation

Crews face tree danger from high winds as B.C. wildfires abate due to precipitation
Heavy rain in parts of British Columbia over the weekend has lowered wildfire activity in the southern part of the province, but firefighters say strong winds are creating some tree hazards for crews. The BC Wildfire Service says in its latest update that the number of active blazes in the province has fallen to around 311, continuing a downward trend from Friday when there were about 340 fires burning.

Crews face tree danger from high winds as B.C. wildfires abate due to precipitation

B.C. caps rent increases next year at 3 per cent, matching inflation

B.C. caps rent increases next year at 3 per cent, matching inflation
The maximum allowable rent increase in British Columbia next year will be 3 per cent, down from the current 3.5 per cent. The Housing Ministry says the new amount, taking effect on Jan. 1, is tied to inflation, and comes after increases were kept "well below inflation" in 2023 and 2024.

B.C. caps rent increases next year at 3 per cent, matching inflation

Vancouver police officer faces possible charges over collision that hurt pedestrian

Vancouver police officer faces possible charges over collision that hurt pedestrian
The Independent Investigations Office is asking prosecutors to consider charges against a Vancouver Police officer whose vehicle hit a pedestrian in the city's Eastside last year. It says in a statement that the officer was responding to a call on the evening of Sept. 29 when his vehicle hit the woman on Commercial Drive.

Vancouver police officer faces possible charges over collision that hurt pedestrian