Adding involuntary care facilities in Surrey, Prince George

Summary

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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:

A backgrounder follows.

Backgrounders

What people are saying about more care for those with complex mental-health disorders

Jennifer Duff, chief operating officer, B.C. Mental Health & Substance Use Services –

“We’re so pleased to be working on this important project with our partners in government, Northern Health, people with lived and living experience and their families, and the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation. B.C. Mental Health & Substance Use Services cares for individuals with complex mental-health and substance-use challenges, and this new facility in Prince George will expand our capacity to provide culturally safe and leading-edge care for people in northern B.C.”

Dermot Kelly, president and CEO, Fraser Health –

“For people with complex needs, having access to a safe, supportive and compassionate care environment can make a meaningful difference in their well-being. By opening this facility in the Fraser Health region, we are creating a space where individuals can receive the specialized care, support and connection they need in a setting designed to promote dignity and recovery. I am grateful to our care teams, community partners and the Province for their commitment to working together.”

Dr. Barbara Kane, mental health program medical lead, Northern Health –

“This new Mental Health and Substance Use facility will substantially increase the number of beds available to serve clients with serious mental illness and concurrent disorders from across the Northern Health region. I look forward to seeing the facility transformed into a trauma-informed and healing environment for patients on their recovery journey, and I want to thank all the people in the north who supported this project’s development.”

Simon Yu, mayor of Prince George –

“Prince George is committed to our role as the regional service hub for northern B.C., and we are grateful for this investment to ensure people with complex mental-health and addictions challenges can access specialized care close to home. Seventy-two beds for those who need it most will undoubtedly make a difference in our community. We look forward to continuing our relationship with provincial partners to improve the health and safety of people living in the North.”

Kyle Sampson, chair, Fraser-Fort George Regional Hospital District

“People in Prince George and northern B.C. have long seen the need for greater care for people suffering on the street, and improved safety for residents, businesses and frontline workers. The North-led advocacy on the work to bring a secure centre here to ensure people struggling with complex mental-health and addiction challenges in our community get the care they need. This is a great step, but we will not let up until all people receive the care they need and our communities are safer for everyone.”

Amna Shah, parliamentary secretary for mental health and addictions –

“People with the most complex mental-health and addictions needs should be able to access the right level of care when they need it. These new facilities will help ensure that care is available closer to home, in settings designed to support safety, stability and recovery.”