I will remember November 15, 2023 for the rest of my life! It was the day that the PC Government, led by Premier Dennis King, legislated a restrictive, substandard, worst in Canada, Community Treatment Order! I would not be very proud of this accomplishment!

The P.C. Government chose to listen to Dr. Javier Salabarria, P.E.I. Medical Director Mental Health and Addictions. It baffles me that Dr. Salabarria would settle for a CTO that he knows will disqualify many mentally ill patients like our son, Andrew, and many others. Why would he want to place the lives of these individuals in jeopardy?

We are so scared that Andrew will stop his medications upon discharge from the Hillsborough Hospital. We were depending on the P.E.I Government to legislate a New Brunswick CTO model that would have Andrew qualify for a CTO. This, strangely enough did not happen!

It is quite possible without medication that Andrew will once again become homeless wandering the streets in the cold days and nights of the winter.

I have done my best for the last year trying to keep Andrew alive, only to have the P.E.I. Government throw up a CTO roadblock.

The Community Treatment Order would have ensured that Andrew remained on his medications after discharge, and he could slowly, but surely regain his life back. Remember, Andrew was an assistant bank manager, husband, father of two children and owned his own home. This could be your son or daughter. Just think about it for a minute!

Andrew's dream was never to become mentally ill scrounging for survival, homeless on the streets. How in all good conscience could the PC Party set Andrew up for failure?

We are grateful to Minister Mark McLane for authorizing the Ministerial Order for a medical transfer. However, the Minister of Health and Wellness has dropped the ball with the P.E.I. CTO!

I know the PC Party have children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, etc. May you never have to experience this gut wrenching experience in your lifetime!  Just a reminder, that mental illness can happen to anyone.

I pleaded with Minister of Health and Wellness, Mark McLane to listen to the recommendations that Dr. Richard O'Reilly, a psychiatrist from London, Ontario provided. Dr. O'Reilly has much expertise in CTO legislation and practice, also Dr. John Gray, from Vancouver, is the lead author "Canadian Mental Health Law and Policy."

P.E.I. was the last province in Canada to legislate a Community Treatment Order and they blew it!

Dr. Richard O'Reilly and Dr. John Gray took the time and effort to try and help P.E.I. develop the best Community Treatment Order possible. Islanders deserve the best CTO possible. The doctors wrote a document titled, EVOLUTION AND COMPARISONS. Here is an example of what they determined from their extensive research. The P.E.I. CTO is much too restrictive! In fact, Andrew would not qualify.

COMPARISONS P.E.I. CTO TO N.B. CTO:
1. Previous hospitalization.
PEI: at least 2 involuntary admissions AND a total of 30 days as involuntary inpatient.
NB: 1 admission of any duration OR none if there is a “pattern of behaviour” that is likely to cause serious harm or deterioration. Alberta has a similar provision to NB.

Why would the P.E.I. Government not want to legislate the N.B. CTO model, which is considered the BEST IN CANADA as researched by Dr. Richard O'Reilly and Dr. John Gray? Why go for the SILVER STANDARD when the GOLD STANDARD could have been legislated just as easily? We wanted to compromise with a simple amendment, changing one word AND to OR. Had this happened Andrew would have qualified for the P.E.I. CTO.

I do not believe that Islanders understand the implications of this P.E.I. CTO. I tried my best to educate the public, especially those with loved ones with a mental illness. I HAVE FAILED, BUT I DID MY BEST.

My husband and I as well as Merina Currie, Barb McDowell, and Michelle Beaton sat in the gallery hoping and praying that the PC Party would do the right thing for the mentally ill on P.E.I.

We can't thank  P.E.I. Green Party, Peter Bevan-Baker and Karla Bernard enough for all the amendments they discussed,  to help the PC Party understand that they were making a very big mistake. Peter had tears in his eyes as we left the P.E.I. Legislature today. He is truly a compassionate man, and fully understood the consequences of the legislation passed today.

I hope that the members of the PC Party can sleep well tonight because we won't. We will try to live our lives knowing that Andrew's days could be numbered.

As the decision was rendered I blurted out, 'YOU ARE DIGGING A GRAVE FOR OUR SON!" May the members of the PC Party remember a mother's plea. We will live with the fact that Andrew may not survive this winter. May the PC members never have to regret their life and death decision today, should Andrew die because of the CTO they legislated.

I thank the hundreds of people who sent e-mails, letters, made phone calls and talked to the Premier, Minister of Health and MLAs personally. People in Ontario and P.E.I. rallied the troops trying to convince the P.E.I. Government that they were making a very big mistake. 

Lloyd and I are heart broken. We have fought the good fight, but lost the battle!

MAMA BEAR WILL NEVER GIVE UP!