Charlottetown bylaw change will let mental health campus move forward

Charlottetown city council amended its zoning and development bylaw Wednesday to allow for a design change at the province's new mental health campus.

The change will allow the province to move the parking lot of the planned mental health campus by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital from the south side to the north side. Mayor Philip Brown said the city is happy to do what it can to support the project, which is to replace the Hillsborough Hospital.

"If you have been out to Hillsborough Hospital. It's an old hospital, its use has gone long overdue," said Brown.

"It's an essential part of mental health, drug addiction, misuse of alcohol, all the areas that we are dealing with in our community and the greater community, all of Prince Edward Island."

The mental health campus will cover about 32 hectares. Two smaller buildings have already opened, handling transition programs and women's recovery programs. Hillsborough Hospital will be replaced with a new 64-bed building.

The city had already voted to amend rules around the development area of the property, but another vote was required for this design change. That vote was preceded by a review by planning board and a public consultation.

"It's a big plan and it has been talked about since the last government," said Brown.

"This government is actually putting boots on the ground, shovels in the ground to forward this project to development. This amendment was just to move the parking lot from one side to the other."

In October officials with Health P.E.I. said 150 positions will need to be filled on the new mental health campus.

Brown is confident the campus will attract those workers.

"It will attract people because of what we have to offer here. A safe, great place to live, work, play and raise a family," he said.

"We are desperately needing this replacement of the Hillsborough Hospital and all the extended services that will be provided through this mental health acute care campus."

Evidence of the need for the campus can be seen in services the city provides, said Brown.

"Our police officers, they see this every day," he said.

"Mental health needs more services, it needs more resources, human resources, it needs more funding. This is a step in the right direction."

Calls for mental health-related incidents are up for police agencies on Prince Edward Island. Back in June, Charlottetown Police Services said it had 1,918 mental health related calls in 2022, compared to 686 in 2018.

Brown hopes a mental health campus is an added resource for those in the city.

In October, officials with the province said they don't expect the campus to be completed until 2027.