Province pulls plug on new downtown Vancouver overdose prevention site
Just weeks after vowing to "push forward" in the face of opposition, Health Minister Josie Osborne has pulled the plug on a new overdose prevention site just days before it was slated to open.
The facility, which would have been located at 900 Helmcken St. in downtown Vancouver, faced backlash from Mayor Ken Sim and his team, as well as locals.
"Since intentions were announced to open a new overdose-prevention site on 900 Helmcken St., I, along with my colleague, Terry Yung, Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services, and MLA for Vancouver-Yaletown, have heard concerns from the city, local businesses and community partners," Osborne explained in a statement.
She declared that Vancouver Coastal Health "will not proceed with the overdose-prevention site at 900 Helmcken St. at this time, and there is currently no planned date for opening."
"We, along with the Ministry of Health and Vancouver Coastal Health, are committed to taking steps to fully engage with stakeholders and community ahead of any new site opening," Osborne added.
The existing mobile overdose prevention site will "provide a limited number of services" for the time being.
Jarryd Jäger
The original Thomus Donaghy Overdose Prevention Site was shut down in January after nearly five years in operation as the only such public facility in the downtown core. During that time, it responded to 480 overdoses and recorded 149,603 visits.
In a letter to Osborne on May 6, Sim argued that there had not been enough consultation with neighbouring residents and businesses, and called on the ministry to pause the lease commencement "pending genuine community approval."
"The City of Vancouver is prepared to work in partnership on solutions to the toxic drug crisis," he wrote. "But partnership requires early engagement — not notification after the fact. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you, or with senior officials in your Ministry ... to discuss these concerns in detail. I am also happy to facilitate a meeting with affected residents, strata councils, and small business owners in the neighbourhood."
ABC then passed an "urgent motion" calling on city staff to "take all lawful steps available" to prevent the site from opening.
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