2 days ago
Safe consumption sites a ‘matter of life and death' in Montreal, consultations hear
Quebec Politics
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The director of a much-discussed safe consumption site in Montreal delivered a heartfelt plea to the Quebec government on Wednesday, warning about the potential consequences of its proposed legislation on the sites.
During consultations on the matter, Maison Benoît Labre's Andréane Désilets stressed how preserving access to the sites is 'literally a matter of life and death.'
'Throughout everything that will be said during these consultations, there is one undeniable reality,' Désilets told elected officials. 'Women, men — and often young people in extremely vulnerable situations — are dying from drug overdoses almost every day across Quebec.'
Désilets was among those participating in consultations in Quebec City concerning Bill 103, the government's attempt to regulate how and where safe consumption sites can operate in the province.
Tabled by Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant last month, the bill seeks to bar the sites from operating within 150 metres of a school or daycare. It would also give the government the authority to extend certain restrictions to organizations serving unhoused people.
In an interview before Wednesday's hearing, Désilets said she feels the legislation is being rushed through and that it fails to take into account the impact it will have in cities such as Montreal.
Though most safe consumption sites offer a variety of harm reduction services, they are intended to prevent overdoses by allowing people to consume their drugs under the observation of trained staff.
There are five such sites operating in Montreal, not counting organizations that offer mobile services. According to the city, over the last five years, they have served more than 28,000 people.
Given Montreal's density and its high number of daycares and schools, Désilets argued respecting the 150-metre radius is all but impossible in the city.
The Maison Benoît Labre, which also offers transitional housing and drop-in services, is currently located 143 meters from an elementary school.
Under the new legislation, it would need to relocate its safe consumption services within four years of the bill passing — a move the organization has estimated to cost at least $6 million.
'The costs are just tremendous, all for seven metres,' Désilets said, noting she has already begun looking for nearby alternatives.
Désilets is calling on the province to offer financial compensation to any sites that would be forced to move. She also wants the government to help them through the relocation process to ensure services aren't interrupted.
Responding to Désilets during the consultations, Carmant said the seven-metre difference in Maison Benoît Labre's case isn't the main issue. Rather, it's how close the site is to the school in general that raises concerns.
'It's really the proximity that is an issue,' Carmant said, adding that he's visited the centre several times.
Maison Benoît Labre opened in a new location in St-Henri last spring. It initially faced strong opposition from neighbours, who say its opening led to an increase in drug consumption and crime in the neighbourhood.
Désilets said many of those tensions have been resolved over the last year through concerted efforts, but she fears needing to move could undo all that progress.
'We would need to restart that entire process,' she said.
At the end of her testimony on Wednesday, Désilets was asked what would happen if services in the Sud-Ouest neighbourhood were to be reduced.
She pointed out how there's already a lack of similar services in the western part of the city, despite the needs being identified for years.
Then she explained what Maison Benoît Labre sees on a day-to-day basis.
'We resuscitate people every day,' Désilets said. Many of them, she noted, are young adults who find themselves on their own after emerging from youth protection without adequate support.
'It doesn't make sense,' she added. 'It find it awful, and it's what's coming.'
