Quesnel’s newly elected mayor, Coralee Oakes, has outlined her top priorities, focusing on enhancing mental health and addressing homelessness services in Northern British Columbia. Oakes is advocating for the implementation of a program known as Access Central, aimed at assisting adults in accessing addiction care through a centralized phone line, a service currently unavailable in Northern Health.
Access Central was introduced in Greater Vancouver in 2023 and later expanded to other regions like Fraser Health, Interior Health, and Island Health, leaving Northern Health as the sole health authority without this service. This program enables individuals seeking addiction treatment to receive a prompt assessment by a nurse or trained clinician within 24 hours, addressing a critical service gap identified by Mayor Oakes.
Furthermore, Oakes emphasizes the necessity for northern municipalities to have access to real-time homelessness data provided by the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS). This software, developed by the federal government, supports day-to-day operations of homelessness service providers by enabling the collection and sharing of real-time data to ensure effective prioritization and referrals to suitable resources.
While historically limited to B.C. Housing-funded organizations, access to HIFIS is now being extended to community partners in various regions, including Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment & Training Association. Oakes highlights the importance of making this valuable information widely accessible to all northern municipalities, citing the need for enhanced services in the region.
Mayor Oakes stresses the urgency for northern communities to have access to essential services that are readily available in other parts of British Columbia. She calls for collaborative efforts to bridge existing service gaps and enhance support systems within the region.
Following her landslide victory over incumbent Ron Paull, Oakes has secured a strong mandate from the community to drive these initiatives forward. The B.C. Conservative Party commits to working alongside Mayor Oakes and other municipal leaders to explore innovative solutions, while the B.C. NDP reaffirms its commitment to partnering with local governments to address community priorities effectively.