Keep Calgarians safe: The 'plan' for the Sheldon Chumir safe consumption site

Calgary Herald

2 days ago

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Premier Danielle Smith and her provincial government are about to close the supervised consumption site at Sheldon Chumir Health Centre in the Beltline.
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And then what?
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The truth is, the Sheldon Chumir safe consumption site was likely placed in the wrong spot, and Calgary would likely have benefited from multiple smaller sites instead of a super site in the Beltline.
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However, this site has reversed thousands of overdoses and connected people in need to vital health care. It is also true that neighbours in the Beltline have raised valid concerns about public disorder and crime.
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But when Smith and her government close the facility, overdose deaths will quickly increase, there will be more public drug use and discarded needles in parks and alleys, and it will place increased strain on EMS, hospitals and police.
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The reality is that closing the safe consumption site will create significant disruption to the surrounding communities and transit. Smith's plan is doomed to fail.
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Let's be clear, life-saving services and community safety go hand in hand. We need to push the premier to engage in a data-based review specific to the Chumir — and the effects of closing it — on crime, on transit and on street use of drugs in Calgary.
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When — in the face of all the evidence — the province proceeds to close it, we will need to have a safe, managed transition so we do not trade one problem for a bigger one. Calgary will need a plan that will save lives and minimize the spread of drugs and crime. Neither the province nor city are seriously discussing the question of 'then what?'
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Here is what I would expect from the provincial government:
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Minimum transition period: There should be no closure without a public timeline and replacement services put in place by the province. And we will need written provincial funding commitments before the doors shut. Supervised drug use must not become street use.
Life-saving services continue: Calgarians expect that their fellow citizens should not be placed in mortal danger due to addiction. This means mobile overdose prevention teams will operate seven days a week in affected areas; same-day access will be provided to addiction medicine, detox beds, and opioid agonist therapy; and safer supply programs will be piloted to reduce exposure to toxic street drugs.
Community safety and cleanliness: We need dedicated small-area safety teams — outreach workers, mental-health clinicians and Calgary Police Service officers — focused on de-escalation and serious crime. These teams will ensure Calgarians are not only safer, but that they feel safer. And, to state the obvious, extra sanitation and needle pickup crews will be needed in the Beltline and downtown.
Real-time monitoring and public reporting: Performance regarding this closure must be publicly disclosed. Calgarians will need a weekly public dashboard showing overdose calls, public injection reports and needle cleanup data. And, should deaths spike as expected, the city will need emergency authority to open a temporary supervised service within seven days.
Funding and oversight: Smith must transfer the safe consumption site budget to the City of Calgary for the transition period. This is not about saving money, it is about saving lives. The city would then create a joint oversight panel with health experts, residents, business owners and police to monitor the data and the province's management of the consequences, both intended and unintended, of this action.