Fund Vancouver Island treatment facility

AI summary

Petitioners ask Canada to create a Vancouver Island treatment-and-recovery funding envelope in the renewed Canada–B.C. health agreement, prioritize Island projects under the expanded Emergency Treatment Fund, and cost-share a regional secure involuntary treatment facility.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada Island Health recorded 343 toxic-drug deaths in 2025, with Central Vancouver Island among the hardest-hit regions in the province; Cowichan Valley experienced as many as 80 toxic-drug overdoses in a single 24-hour period on November 18–19, 2025, overwhelming local shelters and first responders; The Province of British Columbia has approved two new involuntary-care treatment facilities, in Surrey and Prince George, while rejecting a proposal to repurpose the soon-to-be-vacant Cowichan District Hospital for the same purpose; and The current renewal of the Canada–British Columbia bilateral health agreement, and the expansion of the federal Emergency Treatment Fund, offer the Government of Canada a timely opportunity to direct funding toward a Vancouver Island facility. We, the undersigned, residents and citizens of Canada,, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Dedicate a Vancouver Island treatment-and-recovery funding envelope within the renewed bilateral health agreement, including funding for secure, involuntary care; 2. Prioritize Vancouver Island within the expanded Emergency Treatment Fund; and 3. Cost-share, with the Province of British Columbia, the capital and operating costs of a regional treatment and recovery facility on Vancouver Island.

Government response

No government response is available yet.