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Vancouver’s mayoral candidates are offering sharply different visions for tackling public safety ahead of the city’s municipal election on October 17. One of the most contentious issues involves a plebiscite question asking whether the city should formally request the province to convert part of the old St. Paul’s Hospital into an involuntary care facility.
Involuntary Care Facility Sparks Debate
Mayoral candidate Kareem Allam strongly opposes the proposal. He argues that turning sections of the hospital into an involuntary care facility would effectively create a prison in the downtown core. “It is prison, let me be clear,” Allam told Global News. “Vancouver needs treatment, not a prison on Burrard Street.”
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The question appears on the ballot as part of incumbent Mayor Ken Sim’s public safety platform. Sim and his ABC Party support using the old St. Paul’s Hospital building for involuntary care beds. The new St. Paul’s Hospital is scheduled to open in 2027, leaving the future of the existing building unresolved. In addition to the involuntary care proposal, Sim’s plan includes mandating drug consumption sites away from schools and parks and directing police to crack down on public drug use.
Candidates Propose Competing Approaches
While Sim focuses on enforcement and facility-based care, other candidates favour different strategies. Pete Fry of the Green Party wants to establish a dedicated outreach team for addiction and mental health calls. He envisions a non-police, non-medical model built around peer-led intervention. “Low acuity, peer-led intervention teams that can go in and deal with folks who are maybe creating a disruption in a shop because they have nowhere better to go,” Fry explained. He said these teams would redirect people toward more appropriate services and supports.
Meanwhile, Colleen Hardwick of the TEAM party says the city needs a stronger emphasis on enforcement and recovery. She wants to bring back neighbourhood block watches in a meaningful way. “Recovery gives us hope and unfortunately we’ve put all our eggs in the harm-reduction basket,” Hardwick said. In contrast, Rebecca Bligh of Vote Vancouver says she would focus on advocating to the province for more resources. “We are short psychiatric beds across our health-care system in Vancouver,” she said. “We know we need a comprehensive response to repeat offenders.”
Election Day Approaches
Vancouver voters will head to the polls on Saturday, October 17. Public safety has emerged as a central issue in the campaign. Each candidate agrees the city faces serious challenges. However, they differ significantly on how best to address addiction, mental health and disorder in public spaces. The outcome of the plebiscite questions will also signal to the province how Vancouver residents want city leaders to proceed on involuntary care.
