As the Okanagan Mayors gathered in front of the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver Friday morning they wanted to send a clear and direct message. In efforts to deal with ever rising street disorder in their respective communities they want the BC Government to consider the Correctional Centre as a mandatory drug treatment centre for the entire Okanagan
“We have been advocating very hard for the Oliver Correctional Centre ” said Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas on AM 1150’s Early Edition,” Not only myself, but all of the mayors throughout the Valley have agreed upon it. Our First Nations representatives down in the southern part of the Okanagan have also agreed upon it. The facility itself is not at capacity. It is less than 50% with regards to occupancy. “
The OCC proposal comes on the heels of the City of Kelowna appealing to the Federal Government not to renew the licence of the Outreach Urban Health Centre which expires in 2027. The Outreach Urban Health Centre acts a safe drug consumption site operated by Interior Health. The City of Kelowna wants it shut down because of safety and crime issues.
In response, BC Health Minster Ravi Khalon told AM 1150 Friday morning he has had conversations with Dyas on both issues and they will be addressed at the upcoming Union OF BC Municipalities Conference. “Tom is strongly advocating for his community. He knows how important not only housing for vulnerable people is, but also how important voluntary care is for his community. And my commitment to him is that we’re going to sit down at UBCM and we’re going to talk solutions. It’s easy for people just to complain about issues in our communities. It’s much tougher to be at the table and find solutions. And he’s committed to me to work with us and the mayors of the region to find a solution. And we’re committed to providing a solution.”
The UBCM is set for September 14th-18 in Vancouver
