Mixed response to new supervised consumption site in Winnipeg

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The NDP government’s plan to open the province’s first supervised consumption site in Winnipeg has received a mixed response from city hall.

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“We are compassionate toward people struggling with addiction, and we want them to get the help they need. But we can’t let unwell people determine the future of our downtown,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham’s office in a statement provided to the Winnipeg Sun.

Nine months after winning last fall’s election, the province announced last week that it has chosen the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre (AHWC), which already runs an addiction clinic, to establish the facility.

The site is expected to be in central Winnipeg, west of Main Street, but the exact location has yet to be confirmed.

Fierce debate about the efficacy of supervised consumption sites has persisted in Canada since Insite, North America’s first legal supervised consumption site, opened in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside more than 20 years ago.

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Harm reduction advocates maintain that the sites can prevent overdose deaths and curb the spread of infectious diseases. At the same time, critics claim they do not actually help people get off drugs and instead create further problems. An Alberta government review of supervised consumption sites in 2019 highlights increases in nearby crime, debris, and overall social disorder.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has acknowledged some of the challenges involved.

“We’ve looked at other jurisdictions. It is clear that there will be an impact when you open a supervised consumption site in terms of the next few blocks around it,” said the premier last week.

The mayor’s office says it will work with the NDP government to support the community and address any concerns that may arise, but the province bears the ultimate duty to ensure its success.

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“This is a provincial-funded health care facility, so it’s their responsibility to ensure the impact on the surrounding community is well-managed,” said the spokesperson for Gillingham. “It is critical that any facility provides access to addiction treatment. That’s the long-term solution.”

Following last week’s announcement, several downtown Winnipeg business leaders declined to comment on the topic due to its contentious nature.

Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister and Point Douglas MLA Bernadette Smith has said it will be Canada’s first Indigenous-led supervised consumption site and that a service model grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, world views and perspectives is needed. The province has pledged $727,000 for AHWC to lead the service design and delivery of the site, which is expected to be up and running sometime next year.

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The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba wants to see the government’s plans for both limiting the impact in surrounding areas and putting Manitobans seeking treatment on a path to recovery.

The NDP government has emphasized that its goal is saving lives and connecting Manitobans with health care and social support. It has stated that a coordinator with Shared Health, the provincial health authority, will ensure the site’s integration with treatment services and the broader mental health and addiction system.

The AHWC welcomed the announcement and said the site is long overdue.

Manitoba is the only province west of New Brunswick without a supervised consumption site; however, a mobile overdose prevention facility has operated in Winnipeg in recent years.

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Since 2016, the number of supervised consumption sites in Canada has grown substantially, and according to Health Canada, 39 of these facilities are now operating. The agency notes more than 40,000 people in Canada have died from toxic drug deaths in this period.

To combat the impact of the opioid crisis, the Trudeau government has authorized the operation of supervised consumption sites by granting exemptions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Federal conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said last week that a future Conservative government would refuse to fund and seek to close all sites near schools, playgrounds and “anywhere else that they endanger the public.”

— with files from the Canadian Press

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