‘Very disappointing’: Province rejects North Cowichan’s proposal to turn old hospital into drug treatment facility

North Cowichan's mayor is disappointed after the province rejected the community's proposal to convert the aging, and soon to be empty, Cowichan District Hospital into an addictions and mental health treatment facility. The post ‘Very disappointing’: Province rejects North Cowichan’s proposal to turn old hospital into drug treatment facility appeared first on CHEK .

North Cowichan’s mayor is disappointed after the province rejected the community’s proposal to convert the aging, and soon to be empty, Cowichan District Hospital into an addictions and mental health treatment facility. “Very disappointing,” Mayor Rob Douglas told CHEK News Monday. “We are facing a crisis here in the Cowichan region in terms of the problems we are dealing with, with homelessness, street disorder, untreated mental illness and addictions.”

The idea of converting the hospital was originally brought to the public in November when North Cowichan sent a joint letter with several communities in the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) to the Ministry of Health. READ MORE: North Cowichan considers turning old hospital into drug treatment facility The joint letter proposed turning the current Cowichan District hospital, that will close in Spring 2027 when the region’s new hospital opens , as an addictions treatment facility, with space for people with severe mental health challenges in need of involuntary care.

The group in the letter asked for a conversion rather than a brand-new building, saying that, due to financial challenges across all levels of government, it makes more fiscal sense to repurpose an existing public asset. “That’s not to say that the existing Cowichan District Hospital isn’t in poor condition,” he said. “I mean there is a lot of deferred maintenance for that facility and there would certainly be significant investments required to upgrade it and ensure that it is in an appropriate condition for providing services for people with severe mental illnesses and addiction.”

Health Minister Josie Osborne sent a response letter to Douglas on June 29 saying Island Health has advised the facility has reached the end of its functional life and is not being considered for alternate uses. “While I appreciate your interest in repurposing the Cowichan District Hospital for mental health and substance use services, this is not a viable option,” Osborne’s letter reads. The letter adds that the ministry is working with Island Health on a south Island site for beds serving all Vancouver Island individuals with severe mental health and substance use challenges.

Douglas called the letter disappointing, adding he believes a facility in his community is critical. He says the most recent homeless count shows more than 420 people experiencing homelessness across the CVRD, many of which have complex mental health and addictions challenges. Douglas will present the letter to council on Wednesday to discuss next steps.

“What I would like to do is to write back to the health minister and suggest that the province give this proposal a closer look and really evaluate all the viable options,” he said. The province has not indicated what will happen with the current hospital building once Quw’utsun Valley Hospital opens next year. The post ‘Very disappointing’: Province rejects North Cowichan’s proposal to turn old hospital into drug treatment facility appeared first on CHEK .