Mental Health & Addictions

Across BC, local governments are taking action to maintain public safety and address mental health and addiction issues. Every year the UBCM Convention plenary session delves into an issue being faced by all local governments, rural, urban and in between. This year the focus is the complex intersection of the toxic drug crisis, public use concerns and the impacts on communities, and their police, fire departments, and other local first responders. UBCM spent 5 minutes with one panelist, the CAO of Fort St. John Milo MacDonald to learn more.

UBCM will no longer seek intervenor status on a court case between the provincial government and the Harm Reduction Nurses Association (HRNA) concerning Bill 34, Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act.

The federal government has approved the Province of BC’s request to further control consumption of illicit drugs in public spaces. The change took place immediately as of May 7, 2024. Possession of small amounts of illicit drugs is still permitted.

Homelessness is a serious and growing issue in BC, and local governments are seeing firsthand the need for more shelter spaces, affiliated social services, and bolstered first responder capacity. The UBCM Executive is meeting with the Premier, Ministers, and opposition MLAs to discuss these issues, and look for constructive solutions.

 
The Union of B.C. Municipalities intends to apply to the B.C. Supreme Court for intervenor status in a lawsuit brought against the Province of B.C. by the Harm Reduction Nurses Association challenging the legality of the Province’s Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act.

The act, which received Royal Assent in November 2023 but which has not yet been brought into force, bans the use of illicit drugs in certain public and recreation-focused spaces including:

As BC’s decriminalization pilot project reaches the end of its first year, local governments continue to support this initiative as one tool to address the toxic drug crisis. However, recent developments in BC courts leave local governments unclear where public use of illicit drugs will be allowed.