A longstanding health advocate in Charlottetown is pressing the provincial government to tighten rules around community treatment orders (CTOs) as the Legislative Assembly prepares to reconvene in the restored Province House on Nov. 3.
Advocate raises concerns ahead of fall sitting
Marlene Bryenton, a well-known children’s author and health advocate who lives in Charlottetown, has written to draw attention to what she describes as the need for stronger community treatment orders in Prince Edward Island. Her letter comes as the Legislature reopens after nearly 12 years of renovations to Province House, the historic seat of the provincial government.
The call is notable for its timing: the fall sitting provides a forum in which members of the legislature can debate mental-health policy, propose amendments and hear from Islanders directly affected by current practices. Community treatment orders, which exist in various forms across Canada, are legal mechanisms intended to ensure continuing care for people with serious mental illness following discharge from hospital.
What are community treatment orders?
Community treatment orders typically require a person to comply with a specified treatment plan while living in the community, with the aim of preventing relapse and reducing repeated hospital admissions. The form, safeguards and eligibility criteria for CTOs vary by province and territory.
| Aspect | Purpose |
|---|---|
| What | Legal requirement to follow a treatment plan outside hospital |
| Why | To support continuity of care and reduce risk of harm or relapse |
| Debate | Balancing patient rights and autonomy with public safety and clinical needs |
Local context and implications
Bryenton’s appeal does not stand in isolation. Across Canada, provinces continue to wrestle with how best to provide care for people living with severe and persistent mental illness while protecting individual freedoms. Strengthening CTOs, advocates say, can be part of a broader approach that includes better community supports, housing, and access to addiction and mental-health services.
Critics of expanded compulsory treatment argue that CTOs can erode civil liberties and may be ineffective without adequate community resources. Proponents counter that properly designed CTOs — with strong oversight and clear criteria — can keep people safer and reduce emergency hospital use.
On P.E.I., the debate will play out against the backdrop of a government that has been restoring and revitalizing public infrastructure and services, including the return to Province House. With MLAs back at the legislature on Nov. 3, Islanders who want their views considered will have the opportunity to follow sittings, contact their MLAs, or participate through established public consultation processes.
- Who raised the issue: Marlene Bryenton, Charlottetown resident and health advocate
- When the Legislature resumes: Nov. 3, at the newly restored Province House
- Key topic: Strengthening community treatment orders and related mental-health supports
How Islanders can engage
For Islanders seeking to follow the issue, the fall sitting offers the immediate avenue for scrutiny and potential legislative action. Members of the public can monitor the Legislative Assembly’s calendar and Hansard, reach out to their MLA to express views, or connect with community mental-health organisations to learn more about lived experience and policy options.
Groups and individuals who have been involved in mental-health advocacy often recommend that any changes to CTO policy be accompanied by:
- Clear, transparent eligibility and review processes
- Independent oversight mechanisms
- Investment in community-based supports and housing
Those specifics will be central to any legislative discussion in the coming weeks. As debate begins in Province House, the province’s approach to balancing care, autonomy and public safety will be under renewed scrutiny.
Reporting on proposals and responses from government ministers and health officials will continue as the fall sitting gets under way.
