Mr. Speaker, 1.6 million Canadians report an unmet need for mental health care, and 7.5 million Canadians live with a mental health illness.
For more than a century, Riverview Hospital provided mental health services in B.C. The provincial government intends to put market housing on these lands. However, the residents of Port Moody—Coquitlam have a different plan. They would like to see a national centre for mental health excellence focused on seniors' issues, like dementia and Alzheimer's; youth issues, like stress, anxiety, and addiction; services for first nations, like addiction and suicide-prevention; and services to help our veterans and first responders with issues like operational stress injuries.
Their vision includes drop-in centres for addiction treatment, a medical services research park, and a world-class arboretum. One thing it does not include is market housing.
I am proud to support this vision. I call on the federal government to work with the Coalition for a Healthy Riverview to help create this national centre for mental health excellence before the B.C Liberals put market housing on these lands, ignoring the wishes of our community.