VICTORIA — Premier David Eby came prepared with announcements as he spoke to leaders of British Columbia’s local governments, promising more involuntary care facilities for those with severe mental illness and addictions, and to bring in legislation to build the North Coast power line. Eby told delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria that the new care facilities in Surrey and Prince George will add about 100 more beds as part of a broader push to control crime. The announcement comes as several municipal leaders push for the expansion of involuntary care to cope with public disorder and homelessness in their cities. Eby says statistics show that crime has fallen by 11 per cent in B.C., but he acknowledges that “people also have to feel safe in their communities.” He says the province is investing into additional resources to deal with homelessness, as well as services for victims of crime, and he is “very hopeful that the federal government will be introducing significant reforms to the Criminal Code this fall.” The premier also promised civic leaders that the North Coast power transmission line, to run between Prince George and Terrace, will generate billions in investment for jobs in northern and rural communities. Eby says his government is “far from perfect” and that the road ahead won’t always be easy, but he has “never been more confident” that the best days are ahead. The premier’s speech was briefly interrupted by a protester yelling ‘shame, shame’ as he urged delegates to walk out in solidarity for Palestinians. Federal housing and infrastructure minister Gregor Robertson spoke to the crowd earlier Friday, saying the province will see more housing on federally-owned lands, but could not say where and when that will happen. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced 4,000 new housing units this month on six federally-owned sites when launching the new Build Canada Homes agency, but none of those are in B.C. Robertson told delegates the six sites are “just the first of many” to be announced in the months ahead. As a “B.C. boy,” Robertson says he is going to make sure homes will be built on suitable federal lands, and the government is working with provincial, regional and local governments to find those sites. Robertson says B.C. has been at the “front and centre” of a decades-long housing crisis, which has now spread to the rest of the country. Robertson, who as mayor of Vancouver in 2008 promised to eliminate homelessness in the city, says the Carney government will “build homes with urgency at a scale never seen before.” This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published Sept. 26, 2025.
