Out of Touch and Out of Answers: Minister Osborne Grilled Over Uprooting of Youth Mental Health Program

Screen shot from Island Health

Claire Rattée, MLA for Skeena and Official Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions and Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox and Official Opposition Critic for Rural Health and Seniors’ Health, are raising urgent concerns regarding the planned relocation of the Ledger Inpatient Program for Children and Youth from the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health to the Eric Martin Pavilion at Royal Jubilee Hospital.

The Ledger Program, which provides intensive inpatient mental health care for vulnerable children and youth, is currently housed in a purpose-built facility designed specifically for pediatric needs. Its existing location offers critical therapeutic amenities such as outdoor recreational spaces, a dedicated on-site school, occupational therapy rooms, and creative studios.

Reports now indicate that the program is being moved to a facility historically used for adult psychiatric care, causing concerns about safety, suitability, and the potential long-term consequences for children and families across Vancouver Island.

“This decision defies common sense and compassion. Moving children into a space designed for adult psychiatric patients is not only inappropriate, it’s dangerous,” MLA Rattée said.

“These children deserve a developmentally appropriate, safe, and healing environment. Ledger was designed for them. This feels like a bureaucratic decision that ignores what’s best for kids and families, and I fear it will only deepen the crisis in pediatric mental health care.”

MLA Day added, “I am deeply concerned not just about the well-being of children, but about the troubling trend of reducing rural and regional access to essential mental health services. The Ledger program serves families from across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Its relocation, without public input, not only jeopardizes the quality of care but undermines the significant public investment made in Queen Alexandra’s specialized facility. Parents deserve answers, and most importantly, children deserve better.”

Serious concerns have also been raised about the program’s reduction in capacity since the pandemic. Families and frontline workers report that inpatient beds remain unused despite adequate staffing, suggesting a deliberate shift away from intensive inpatient care.

Critics Rattée and Day are calling on Health Minister Josie Osborne to act with urgency on what they describe as a shocking and deeply concerning development. They are demanding the provincial government immediately halt the relocation and launch a full, transparent consultation with families, clinicians, and community stakeholders.

The Official Opposition will continue to press for accountability and advocate for the children and families who depend on the Ledger Program.