The B.C. Legislature is back in session and one of our local MLAs is hoping to see some financial help for growing social issues.

Kamloops South Thompson Liberal Todd Stone says the rise in mental health and addiction issues is apparent throughout the region. “There’s a tremendous need and we see it in our community. We see it in downtown Kamloops. We see it in the Tranquille corridor and what we see in Kamloops is being replicated all over the province. A huge spike in homelessness, a huge spike in overdoses, a huge spike in all of the issues that flow from that. People need help.”

Stone says those people need help to find paths for wellness, which he says requires significant investments in recovery programs.

H says he and his Kamloops-North Thompson MLA counterpart, Peter Milobar, didn’t hear what they were hoping to when pushing for a program their party wants to expand.

“Pete and I had a pretty distressing meeting last week with some Interior Health officials. It does not appear that there is any appetite what so ever within Interior Health to expand the Car-40 program. I was very, very disappointed in even the tone that the message was communicated to us.”

Stone says things are getting worse and it’s up to the Premier and his Health Minister to fix the situation. “Clearly that Car-40 expansion, that’s desperately needed, is only going to happen if Adrian Dix and John Horgan make it happen at a political level.”

It’s unclear what money could be coming for mental health and addictions, and programs like Car-40, as the Horgan government isn’t planning to bring forth it’s budget until April 20.

Only $10 million in last year’s budget was allocated for the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.