Health Minister Josie Osborne has nixed the idea of repurposing the existing Cowichan District Hospital for other medical uses once the new regional hospital opens in 2027.

In a brief letter to North Cowichan and other local governments, Osborne says “the facility has reached the end of its functional life and is not being considered for alternate uses.”

She adds: “While I appreciate your interest in repurposing the Cowichan District Hospital for mental health and substance use services, this is not a viable option.”

The existing hospital opened its doors in 1967.

Local governments wrote Osborne on Dec. 1, 2025, asking the province to “explore re-purposing the existing Cowichan District Hospital site as a centre for addiction treatment and recovery, as well as a psychiatric facility for individuals with severe mental health and substance use challenges….”

Osborne’s letter of response is dated June 29 and is on North Cowichan council’s July 15 agenda as information.

The province’s decision comes as a big disappointment to community advocate Peter Rusland, who has collected more than 6,800 signatures on a petition asking that the existing hospital be repurposed for medical care.

“The public has been left out,” said Rusland, a former community newspaper reporter. “What does end-of-life mean? How much would it cost? They’ve said nothing to the public.

“It’s unfair to the whole community.”

Six Mountains has asked the ministry if it has conducted a technical review detailing the existing hospital's inadequacies and costs of renovation.

Osborne also says in the letter that the ministry is working with Island Health and Dr. Daniel Vigo, Chief Scientific Advisor for Psychiatry, Toxic Drugs and Concurrent Disorders, on a southern Vancouver Island site for beds serving individuals with severe mental health and substance use challenges.

“This will be a regional service for all Vancouver Island residents,” Osborne said. “A business case is being developed, and as this work progresses, I will be happy to provide you with an update….”

Said Rusland: “It will take years to do anything they want to build.”

Read both letters: https://pub-northcowichan.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=24049

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(Sixmountains.ca received a Canadian Association of Journalists gold award last month for an investigative series on an unauthorized landfill on Cowichan Tribes reserve land.)

— Larry Pynn, July 11, 2026