Health
Summary
- Two new facilities will add 132 mental-health treatment beds for people requiring involuntary care
- In Prince George, a 72-bed treatment centre will replace the former youth corrections facility
- In Surrey, a site will be renovated to provide 60 new mental-health treatment beds
__________
People with complex mental-health, addictions and brain-injury needs will soon get the care they need at new involuntary-care facilities in Surrey and Prince George.
These renovated facilities will add 132 new beds to the health-care system and will also include treatment and rehabilitation services to help people with some of the most complex needs in B.C.
“Every person struggling with severe mental illness and addiction is someone’s child, parent, sibling or friend. These new beds will help ensure they get the specialized care they need to recover and rebuild their lives,” said Premier David Eby. “Whether people come to care voluntarily or are unable to ask for help, no one should be left in our streets when they are at their most vulnerable. By helping people onto a path to recovery, we can build safer communities while giving more people the opportunity to heal.”
These new beds will add to more than 2,000 existing mental-health beds in B.C. that can provide care for people admitted involuntarily under the Mental Health Act. This includes beds recently opened at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre and Spiritwood Homes in Maple Ridge, as well as ongoing efforts to expand access to specialized care throughout the province.
Work is also underway to assess future bed capacity in other regions of B.C.
“People living with severe mental-health and addiction challenges need care that is safe, appropriate and responsive to their needs,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “These new facilities in Surrey and Prince George will help ensure more people can access specialized supports, including when they are most unwell and unable to seek help on their own. This work is about making sure we have a comprehensive continuum of care, so people can stabilize and live healthier, fuller lives.”
Local supports in Prince George
The site at 1211 Gunn Rd. will be redeveloped into a secure mental-health and addictions care facility. The facility will include 60 beds in existing buildings and 12 new purpose-built beds, supporting people requiring involuntary care and expanding access to specialized care closer to home.
Developed in collaboration with the Province, Northern Health and the Provincial Health Services Authority, in partnership with the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, services will be informed through consultation with people with lived experience and northern First Nations. The project has received business-plan approval and has a budget of up to $92 million. Construction is anticipated to begin in September 2026, with the first phase (24 beds) expected to open by December 2027 and the remaining beds expected to open by the end of 2028.
Expanded care in Surrey
The new 60-bed care facility at 6833/6869 King George Blvd. in Surrey will provide involuntary care and a range of specialized services to support people with complex mental-health and addictions care needs.
Developed in collaboration with the Province, Fraser Health, the Provincial Health Services Authority and local partners, the facility will be renovated into a secure mental-health and addictions care facility. Government has approved the business plan for the project. It has a budget of up to $57 million and is anticipated to open in spring 2028.
Strengthening care for people with severe mental-health challenges
The creation of new designated mental-health services under the Mental Health Act is a key recommendation from Dr. Daniel Vigo, who was appointed B.C.’s first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders in June 2024.
This is one part of the government’s work to improve access to mental-health and addictions care, which includes a focus on expanding voluntary supports and services that work for everyone. The Province continues to add and expand care, including early intervention and prevention, treatment and recovery services, supportive and complex-care housing, and overdose prevention services.
"After 10 years, the tide is finally turning on the opioid crisis,” Vigo said. “We have created new services, such as secure Spiritwood-approved homes and the mental-health beds at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre. And today, we confirm more than 130 new beds offering the full continuum of voluntary and involuntary mental-health and substance-use treatment, with similar scale-ups to come until the whole province is covered with the required levels of integrated community and hospital care for mental health and substance use.”
Learn More:
- To learn about mental health and addictions supports in B.C., visit:
https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/ - Learn how B.C. is building better mental health and addictions care: gov.bc.ca/BetterCare
- For more about the Mental Health Act, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/mental-health-act
- To learn how government is working to keep people and communities safe, visit:
https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/safer-communities/
A backgrounder follows.
