ICYMI: Summer Edition

In Case You Missed It: What we did in July and August

Adult Guardianship Act (AGA) Project Launch

In July, we launched a project focused on part of BC’s Adult Guardianship Act. The project will help community better understand the current law and the potential impacts of any amendments that may result from the Ministry of the Attorney General’s current review process. Learn more.

Submission for World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office of the United nations high commissioner for human rights (OHCHR)

In August, we provided a submission in response to the Draft Guidance on Mental Health, Human Rights, and Legislation created by WHO and OHCHR. The Draft Guidance aims to support countries considering changes to their mental health legislation that will support the transformation of their mental health systems to ensure they are aligned with international human rights law. Health Justice provided input on ways the Draft Guidance could be strengthened to support decolonizing approaches, gender equity, access to justice, and strong legal safeguards.

Summary of Ombudsperson’s Investigative Update on Involuntary Treatment

In August, we released our summary of the Ombudsperson’s Investigative Update on Involuntary Treatment. The update found that only one-third of the crucial recommendations have been implemented in the three years following the initial report and investigation. There have been recent calls for additional powers authorizing mandatory treatment after drug poisonings/overdoses which makes this update on how BC’s current involuntary treatment system is still lagging behind even more concerning. In our summary we have 3 key take-aways about the update that you can read here.

Engagement

Health Justice provided two education sessions to other organizations in July. We also worked with LEEG to provided input to the Ministry of the Attorney General on revisions to the forms required under the Mental Health Act. As well, we are planning for our first in a series of focus groups with people with lived/living experience which is part of our ongoing engagement plan to centre the expertise of people with lived and living experience.

To keep up with what we’re up to, check out our socials below!

ICYMI: Other News

Pope faces calls to renounce the Doctrine of Discovery at the heart of colonialism

Pope Francis visited Canada to give an apology for residential schools and the trauma they caused during the summer. This led to calls for the Doctrine of Discovery to be renounced. The Doctrine of Discovery came from the Catholic Church and “gave colonial powers free rein to invade any land not yet "discovered" by Christians.” The doctrine still has an impact today on Indigenous people in the form of “residential school trauma, the Indian Act, the Sixties Scoop, the reserve system, the clean water crisis in Indigenous communities and more.”

B.C.'s overdose crisis has claimed more than 10,000 lives: Coroner

While June had less drug toxicity deaths than any other month this year, there has still already been 1,095 deaths from toxic drug supply this year in BC. In 2016, the illicit and toxic drug deaths were declared a public health emergency and since then there has been 10,168 deaths due to toxic drugs supply. The Chief Coroner said that “we’ve now seen it grow from an average of 2.7 deaths per day to six deaths per day in 2022.” Fentanyl has been “detected in 83 per cent of all overdose deaths in 2022.” There are calls to expand services available as well as for the development of a comprehensive system and for any system put in place to have a focus on harm reduction and safe supply.

'These are our neighbours': DTES tent removal continues, questions remain about where people will go

On August 24th, a press conference was held to give an update on what the city is doing in the DTES where it was mentioned that city crews will still be removing “temporary shelters and other materials from the area” with a focus on moving those who are looking to move into housing units. However, BC Housing currently has spaces for 40 people to move into, which is significantly less than all of those who are still unhoused in the DTES. Currently there are still concerns about where people are supposed to go until more housing units open up. The city has explored the idea of alternative locations for people to camp but Mochrie said that “we have, as of our last homeless count in 2020, about 500 people unsheltered in Vancouver. There's simply not sufficient spaces to accommodate that number of people; space or spaces… And certainly not in the DTES.” With the city refusing to identify a temporary alternate space to go and lacking indoor immediate solutions, those in the DTES are still unsure of where they are supposed to go while their tents, as well as other personal belongings, are being cleared.