Original story updated to include comments on current mental health situation by Marieze Tarr, executive director of Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre.
The RCMP is saying the discovery of two bodies on Oct. 27 in Osoyoos “appears to be a tragic murder-suicide within a family unit,” according to Sgt. Jason Bayda of the Osoyoos RCMP. The grim news comes as mental health service providers say they are stretched far beyond their capacities due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.
The circumstances surrounding the death of the two individuals are being investigated by RCMP Southeast District Major Crime unit along with the BC Coroners Service.
On Oct. 27, Osoyoos RCMP were responding to an abandoned vehicle complaint in a rural area of northwest Osoyoos which was associated with a residence in the 9000 block of 115 Street.
When police entered the residence, they discovered a deceased individual. A second individual was located deceased in the area of the abandoned vehicle.
“Through the course of the investigations, officers have determined that the two deceased individuals were known to each other and that there is no threat to public safety,” Bayda added.
The Times-Chronicle learned that the two were husband and wife and lived in the Casitas Del Sol 55+ gated community near the industrial park in Osoyoos.
According to neighbours, the woman, who was said to have had health issues, was found within the house while her husband’s body was located near the abandoned car. Police have not identified the cause of death for either.
Bayda says no further information will be released at this present time and that the RCMP and BC Coroners Service work through the remainder of the investigation.
While there likely may never be a clear explanation as to what was behind this apparent murder-suicide, one thing is clear in the context of the wider community: mental health issues have skyrocketed over the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marieze Tarr, executive director of Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre says her organization has never seen a bigger need within the community in terms of people trying to access mental health services.
Tarr says that pre-pandemic, “if we had six referrals in one day that would be a lot and we now have many days where we are receiving 15 referrals in a day. We are seeing a real need in all communities for people trying to access mental health services.”
She also points to Desert Sun’s safe house for women which has been “in overflow mode” since the start of the pandemic. “For the last two years our safe home has been consistently full and we have been using hotels and motels to house women fleeing domestic abuse.”
A key part of the mental health problems arising out of the pandemic stem from isolation, she says. “We are seeing a real need in all communities for people trying to access mental health services,” she adds.
“We as humans are social creatures, we were wired to connect with others and COVID has taken that away from us and people are struggling; they’re really struggling is what we’re seeing and what we’re seeing with our caseloads,” Tarr says.
This is the same situation with other regions and agencies, she said. At Desert Sun which has centres in both Osoyoos and Oliver, Tarr says they’ve hired extra counsellors but still can’t keep up with the demand.
They have also resorted to waitlists, something Tarr says they’ve desperately tried to avoid over the past four years, but have no choice now.
“This is really not ideal at all when people are needing mental health services,” she underscores.
“So we can see that people are really struggling and we’re trying our best to accommodate as many people as possible and help.” This saw Desert Sun move to establish men’s and women’s groups in order to help as many people as they can and at least provide some form of services to those on the waiting list.
For those that are in crisis, the best thing is to reach out for support she says. “Our agency provides counselling for free and there are other services available in the province as well,” and even though they may be full-up, Tarr says they will still help those in need to find suitable counselling help.
As for staying mentally healthy, Tarr says it’s important to connect with others, outside or in safe places, and to go out for walks. “Try and have a small bubble of good, positive people that surround you and can help you when you’ve had a bad day. And hopefully, slowly but surely things will get better,” she says of the pandemic.
