B.C. Premier David Eby speaks during a news conference for the 2023 B.C. Cabinet and First Nations Leaders’ Gathering in Vancouver, on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. –
Long-awaited plans for a centre providing mental-health and addictions services for children and youth in northern British Columbia have received a boost from the provincial government.
Premier David Eby says on a visit to Prince George that young people in northern B.C., especially Indigenous youth, should be able to get the care they need close to home, without having to travel to Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Kamloops or Kelowna.
He says the province will contribute $675,000 to fund consultation to help design and plan programs and services for a proposed “centre of excellence” for children and youth.
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Jennifer Whiteside, minister of mental health and addictions, says in a statement that it’s essential the services are shaped by the people they are meant to support.
Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Chief Dolleen Logan says the nation will lead the consultation process, following its earlier proposal to develop a multi-use centre offering mental-health and addictions services, neurocognitive assessments and wellness programs.
