---
title: "Vancouver Liberals launch campaign opposing plebiscite question on St. Paul's Hospital"
description: "Mayoral candidate Kareem Allam says converting the old hospital campus for involuntary care would place a large secure facility in the heart of Downtown Vancouver."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/vancouver-liberals-no-prison-plebiscite-september-29"
last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:01:15.441Z"
---

The Vancouver Liberals launched a campaign on September 30 opposing the second question on the October 17 public safety plebiscite, according to Daily Hive. Mayoral candidate [Kareem Allam](/candidates/kareem-allam) and council candidate [Moira Stilwell](/candidates/moira-stilwell) held a press conference to announce the "No Vancouver Prison" campaign, which urges voters to reject both plebiscite questions.

The second question asks whether the City should formally request that the province convert portions of the old St. Paul's Hospital campus on Burrard Street, or another similar site, into a secure medical facility with voluntary care and more than 100 involuntary care beds. Allam told reporters he supports involuntary care in some circumstances but opposes using the old hospital because of its central location. He said a facility that prevents patients from leaving requires security staff and purpose-built design, which he compared to a prison.

When reporters asked him to name an alternative site within Vancouver, Allam said he could not identify one. "I am not aware of any sites that would be appropriate for an involuntary care facility of this size and magnitude in the City of Vancouver," he said at the press conference, as reported by Daily Hive.

## What Stilwell said about the buildings

Stilwell, a physician who says she has worked at St. Paul's Hospital for more than 30 years, cited a previous Providence Health Care review that identified earthquake vulnerabilities in parts of the old campus. She described aging equipment spread across buildings from different eras, and said the layout cannot provide the proportion of single-patient rooms required in modern secure facilities. "Safe units are built from the ground up with clear sight lines, safe fixtures, private rooms and calm spaces to de-escalate," she said, as quoted by Daily Hive.

## The ABC position and the property context

Mayor [Ken Sim](/candidates/ken-sim) and ABC Vancouver support both plebiscite questions and have launched a website urging yes votes, according to Daily Hive. ABC has argued the hospital site offers a practical window: Providence Health Care is relocating to a new building in the False Creek Flats in 2027, leaving the Burrard Street campus without a confirmed tenant for several years. Concord Pacific, which Daily Hive reported acquired the 6.6-acre property in 2020 for a price it put at $1 billion, has said it would discuss temporary uses with governments.

Allam also raised concerns about conversion costs and described the proposal as a potential benefit to the developer, arguing the site should provide residential and public uses once redevelopment proceeds.

The party also opposes the first plebiscite question on open-air drug use. Allam said the Vancouver Police Department already has authority to enforce existing drug laws and that Sim should direct its use without seeking another public vote.

## What voters can do

Both plebiscite questions appear on the October 17 ballot alongside the races for Mayor, City Council, Park Board, and School Board. The questions are non-binding and advisory. Voters can find their polling location at [/where-to-vote](/where-to-vote). Advance voting runs October 8 to 14.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.