B.C. premier announces review of mental health legislation in wake of Vancouver festival tragedy

In the aftermath of the Vancouver festival calamity that near 11 dead, respective injured, and radical astir the satellite grieving, B.C.'s premier said determination volition beryllium a reappraisal of the province's intelligence wellness authorities to guarantee it's moving the mode it's intended.

The premier has besides announced that Friday, May 2, volition beryllium a provincial time of mourning for the victims and their families.

On Saturday night, a 30-year-old antheral drove an SUV into a assemblage of radical astatine a thoroughfare festival, conscionable arsenic organizers were winding down activities. The festival, called the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, was being held to observe the contributions of the Filipino Canadian community. 

The antheral has since been identified arsenic Kai-Ji Adam Lo. He has been charged with 8 counts of second-degree murder. 

Following the incident, interim constabulary Chief Steve Rai said Lo had a past of interactions with constabulary and health-care professionals related to intelligence health.

"This incidental is bringing to airy further concerns and urgency that they person astir betterment of the Mental Health Act successful this province," Eby said Wednesday afternoon. 

The Mental Health Act deals with ineligible issues astir voluntary and involuntary attraction for radical who person a intelligence illness.

Eby said Health Minister Josie Osborne and her squad volition initiate a reappraisal of the act. Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.'s main technological advisor for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders, volition beryllium portion of the review, Eby said. He did not supply a timeline for the review. 

Calls for action, nationalist inquiry

The announcement comes arsenic B.C. leaders telephone for enactment from the provincial authorities to support the nationalist from aboriginal harm.

In the hours and days pursuing the incident, Rai repeatedly fielded questions from reporters asking whether determination was capable information and constabulary enactment for the event. Unlike different events successful the city, constabulary did not artifact the roadworthy with conveyance barricades. Rai has been adamant that a hazard appraisal was done and determined that dedicated officers and dense constabulary vehicles were not needed. 

Police are investigating the tragedy, and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said the metropolis and constabulary section are doing a "comprehensive interior review" of things similar permitting, tract safety, readying and exigency response. Sim said helium expects preliminary accusation to beryllium disposable successful the coming weeks. 

On Tuesday, Eby said that should the transgression probe into the lawsuit not supply "all the answers," the state volition telephone a nationalist inquiry. 

"I cognize that British Columbians privation answers, I privation answers," helium told reporters. 

He said helium would telephone 1 now, but worries it would interfere with transgression proceedings. 

Sim said he's "sick and tired" of "administrivia" and wants immoderate nationalist enquiry to see a reappraisal of intelligence wellness supports successful the province. 

"Sure, let's bash these inquiries," helium said. "How galore much inquiries bash we need? How galore much reviews bash we need? We spot a recurring signifier of intelligence wellness radical suffering from important intelligence wellness challenges that pb to important antagonistic incidents."

WATCH | Vancouver politician calls for provincial action:

Sim said helium wants to spot much attraction beds made disposable and much "meaningful" bail reform.

"Mental wellness is wellness care, and wellness attraction is simply a provincial responsibility. Vancouver is stepping up, but we can't and we should not beryllium doing this alone."

'Sister legislation'

Lo was nether the attraction of a intelligence wellness squad and "on extended leave" successful accordance with the Mental Health Act, according to the section wellness authority, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). 

VCH said radical are enactment connected extended permission nether the enactment to springiness them a accidental to integrate backmost into the community. Anytime idiosyncratic is connected extended leave, a intelligence wellness squad monitors their well-being and provides enactment arsenic needed. If they garbage attraction oregon support, they tin beryllium recalled to the hospital. 

"In this situation, the attraction squad followed established guidelines for a lawsuit connected extended leave, and determination was nary denotation this idiosyncratic was not pursuing their attraction program oregon presented a nationalist information risk," VCH said successful an email to CBC News. 

Public information professional and Surrey South Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko said the Mental Health Act is an "effective portion of legislation" for those who conscionable the criteria. But, she said, sometimes radical autumn done the cracks oregon their concern changes, and they inactive don't get the attraction they request nether the act. 

She said she wants to spot immoderate benignant of "sister legislation" to screen the radical who don't rather suffice nether the existent act. 

Without changes, she said, much radical volition get hurt.

"This is horrific, but it is not the archetypal horrific incidental that we've had involving a transportation to intelligence illness," she told Stephen Quinn, the big of CBC's The Early Edition, on Wednesday morning. 

In 2023, 3 radical were stabbed astatine a festival successful Chinatown by a antheral who was connected a time walk from the B.C. Forensic Psychiatric Hospital. 

Last September, a antheral killed 1 idiosyncratic and chopped another's manus disconnected successful a brace of attacks successful downtown Vancouver. Police said the suspect, who was connected probation astatine the clip of the attacks, had much than 60 documented contacts with constabulary and that helium "appears to beryllium a precise troubled man."

In December, a fishy was changeable and killed by constabulary astatine a Vancouver convenience store aft helium allegedly stole liquor and attacked and injured 2 people. While the suspect's individuality was ne'er released, the premier suggested intelligence health, addiction and encephalon wounded played a relation successful the man's intelligence authorities astatine the clip of the incident. 

"There is immoderate enactment present to do," Sturko said. 

"It is wide that adjacent with extended services being reported, determination are inactive failures that are starring to radical either falling unfortunate themselves oregon being progressive successful superior transgression interactions that permission them successful jeopardy."

Additionally, she said she wants to spot a afloat reappraisal of the full intelligence health-care strategy successful B.C. 

Eby said that, without question, the intelligence health-care system needs much resources. 

Support is disposable for those impacted by the Vancouver festival tragedy. Victim Services is disposable 24 hours a time by calling oregon texting 1-800-563-0808 oregon by email astatine [email protected]. 

The provincial intelligence wellness enactment enactment tin beryllium reached astatine 310-6789 (no country codification required). A situation enactment is besides disposable astatine 1-800-784-2433.