Okanagan mayors and regional leaders are pushing the B.C. government to convert unused space at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver into a mandatory care facility. The proposal comes as communities struggle with the ongoing drug, mental health, and social disorder crises. According to Martin Johansen, the mayor of Oliver, the centre is operating at less than half capacity, with approximately 200 inmates out of 401 cells on average daily last year. Health Minister Ravi Kahlon notes that converting the facility would require more than just a change in use of space, including infrastructure and healthcare professionals to provide necessary support services.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In Okanagan, mayors and regional leaders are pushing the B.C. government to turn unused space at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver into a mandatory care facility for people struggling with addiction, mental health issues, and social disorders. The centre has 401 cells but is currently operating at less than half capacity, with an average daily inmate count of around 200 last year. Leaders such as Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas and Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield argue that the facility could be repurposed to provide a secure and compassionate environment for people in need, rather than leaving them on the streets. They are calling on the provincial government to take action amidst growing pressure to address the complex issues facing communities across the region.
Written for “Oliver Correctional Centre Proposal” on 2026-09-07,
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The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.45, but none of the 4 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
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Leaning score withheld for article 4758: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-05
Okanagan mayors and regional leaders, including First Nations, are pressing the B.C. government to turn unused space at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver into a mandatory and secure care facility.
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mayors → include → facility
A handful of leaders gathered outside the correctional centre Friday, renewing calls on the provincial government to take action as communities across the region continue to grapple with the ongoing drug, mental health and social disorder crises.
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communities → gather → crises
“The need continues to grow on a daily basis. What is missing is action,” said Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas.
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Dyas → continue → basis
Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield said communities need to focus on getting people the help they need.
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they → say → help
“Let’s start helping the people that need help,” Bloomfield said.
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Bloomfield → start → help
“Let’s do it with compassion because leaving people on the streets is not compassionate.”
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leaving → let → streets
The mayors are specifically pointing to unused capacity at the Oliver facility as a potential location for mandatory care.
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mayors → point → care
Martin Johansen, the mayor of Oliver, said he understands the centre is operating at less than half capacity.
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centre → say → capacity
“It’s not anywhere near the capacity it could be,” Johansen said.
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Johansen → ’ → capacity
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The Okanagan Correctional Centre has 401 cells.
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Centre → get → cells
The Ministry of Public Safety says the number of inmates varies, but the facility had an average daily inmate count of approximately 200 last year.
The calls come amid growing pressure on the province to address the complex intersection of addiction, mental health and public safety.
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calls → say → addiction
Bloomfield warned that continued inaction could have serious consequences.
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inaction → warn → consequences
“People are going to die,” he said.
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he → go → ?
While the mayors see the correctional centre as a potential solution, the province says converting part of the facility into a mandatory care site requires a lot more than just a change in use of space.
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converting → see → space
“It’s not about simply holding people,” said Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s health minister.
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Kahlon → ’ → people
“It’s about having infrastructure that helps enable the care that we need.”
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we → ’ → that
He also said health-care professionals would need to be available at the site to provide the necessary support services.
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professionals → say → services
The push will continue next week at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, where municipal leaders from across the province will meet with provincial ministers.
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leaders → continue → ministers
For the Okanagan mayors, the convention provides another opportunity to put the proposed use of the Oliver correctional centre directly in front of provincial decision-makers.
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convention → provide → makers
“I believe this is a viable solution,” Johansen said.
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Johansen → believe → ?
