Kelowna is one of the most desirable places in Canada to live, work and vacation. People are drawn here for the natural beauty, our sense of community, and the quality of life that our city offers. It’s an incredible place to build a business and to raise a family. No wonder Kelowna represents positive childhood and vacation memories for so many.
But there is another truth at play here, one that is not as beautiful and positive – our city is struggling. If we have the courage to address the issues honestly and to act, then I believe that we can become a beacon of change for the whole province.
When it comes to crime, safety, addiction, mental health and homelessness, every city in British Columbia is grappling with similar issues – rising crime and increasing human suffering.
Moving the problem around the city or from one community to another is not a solution. I believe that Kelowna can lead the province in demanding life-giving policies and legislative change.
As your MLA, I’ve heard countless stories with a consistent theme: It has never been so easy to be a criminal and so demoralizing to be a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen.
Small business owners are suffocating under the strain of stolen merchandise, broken windows, graffiti, and the daily cleanup of feces, needles and debris. Residents are afraid to let their children walk downtown. Seniors feel unsafe. Working families are stretched thin by rising rents and grocery costs, while being told there is simply no alternative to the disorder they are living with.
Meanwhile, repeat offenders are committing new crimes before the paperwork is even complete from their last arrest.
In Kelowna alone, 15 individuals were responsible for approximately 1,350 police interactions in a single year. The police want to act but are handcuffed by current government policy. This is wrong, and does not do justice to police, to business owners, and the community at large.
At the same time, our jails sit below capacity, and local holding cells often remain empty. We have the correctional infrastructure, what we lack is accountability for chronic offenders.
Housing alone also does not solve addiction or mental illness.
This is not a new lesson. As documented in Finland’s “Housing First” model, housing only works when paired with comprehensive wraparound services – treatment, mental health care, accountability and support.
The Liberals and NDP chose a different path, and we are now witnessing the results of that mistake. Without treatment and structure, housing alone fails – after over a decade of the Housing First model, do you think anything has improved?
Alberta has demonstrated more success because its model maintains a stronger focus on treatment and recovery. Here in BC, the balance has been lost.
Former Vancouver mayor Philip Owen championed the four pillars approach: prevention, education, enforcement, and treatment. Today, the pillar that is most underfunded and neglected in BC is treatment.
You can give someone a home, but if they are living with severe mental illness or drug addiction, housing alone will not address the crisis. In fact, it can entrench it.
To fix this problem, we need:
- An end to decriminalization and diversion policiesthat have failed both communities and those suffering from addiction.
- A renewed focus on treatment and recovery, including detox, stabilization, and long-term care. Build the beds and provide clear paths to access.
- Judicial reform, particularly around bail, so repeat offenders face real consequences
- A campus-of-care model, including involuntary mental health treatment when necessarywith full wraparound services
- Provincial funding for abstinence-based and faith-based recovery programs, which have demonstrated strong outcomes but are currently excluded from recognition and support
Organizations such as Freedom’s Door locally have a proven track record of helping people rebuild their lives – yet they are sidelined by current provincial policy. The NDP have denied funding to this organization, despite their history of success. I will continue to advocate for change so that we base funding on merit, not ideology.
Allowing people to cycle endlessly through addiction, untreated mental illness, crime, and incarceration is not kindness. Leaving them to wander our streets in crisis is not care. Asking ordinary citizens to shoulder the cost financially, emotionally, and socially, is not justice.
Kelowna can lead the way towards positive action that prioritizes safety, recovery, accountability and dignity for those struggling and for the community as a whole. I know that together we can be the catalyst for the change that is long overdue.
That is truly the most compassionate thing we can do.
What do you think? Have your voice heard by joining me and other local MLAs for a Crime and Community Safety town hall on Thursday, February 5 from 6-8 pm. Registration to attend is completely free on Eventbrite at: https://KelownaCrimeSafety.eventbrite.com
Source: Kelowna Now
