British Columbia Premier David Eby has provided a long-awaited update on the expansion of involuntary care facilities, confirming that a former youth detention centre in Prince George will be converted into a treatment hub and a site on King George Boulevard in Surrey will be renovated. The Prince George facility will offer 72 beds—60 existing and 12 new purpose-built—with a total budget of $92 million. The Surrey centre will have 60 beds, a $57 million budget, and is expected to open in spring 2028.
Timeline and Partnerships
The first 24 beds in Prince George are slated to become operational in December 2027, with the remainder coming online in 2028. The province and Northern Health have partnered with the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation on the Prince George facility. In Surrey, the new centre will be located on King George Boulevard and is projected to open in spring 2028.
Background and Purpose
The announcement follows Eby's pledge at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in September 2025 to bring involuntary care services to Surrey and Prince George. These facilities add to existing services at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre—designed for individuals in the correctional system—and the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women in Maple Ridge, which serves those admitted under the Mental Health Act. Involuntary care targets people with substance use or mental health challenges deemed by a doctor or nurse practitioner unable to help themselves. Patients are admitted under the Mental Health Act and can be held indefinitely if a physician deems it necessary.
Premier's Statement
“We’re going to ensure that we’re opening beds everywhere across the province,” Eby said at the UBCM conference. “We’d like people to be able to receive this kind of care that they need close to home, where family and friends can get support.”
Political Reaction
Conservative MLAs have pressed for updates, with Prince George-North Cariboo MLA Sheldon Clare criticizing the government's transparency. “Families and businesses across northern B.C. are dealing every day with the consequences of severe addiction, untreated mental illness, brain injuries, homelessness, and repeat offending,” Clare said in May. “The NDP government announced this facility with significant fanfare, but months later communities are still waiting for basic information. Northerners deserve transparency, accountability, and action.”
