Calgary mayor looks to province for decision on supervised consumption site

Calgary's mayor says she's sent a letter to Alberta's minister of mental health and addiction, telling him that the province – not the city – needs to decide the next steps for a supervised consumption site at the Sheldon M. Chumir Centre.

Jyoti Gondek, in an X post, said she was surprised over recent comments Dan Williams made about the site, suggesting that she had to decide about its new location.

In the post, she said Calgarians have been waiting on the province for "alternate solutions" since 2022.

Since the supervised consumption site falls under Williams' portfolio, Gondek said the ball is in his court, not the other way around.

"In the interest of all Calgarians, it is critical to see the province's solution prior to their closure of the supervised consumption site at Sheldon M. Chumir," Gondek wrote.

"Otherwise, people looking for support will be forced to the streets, creating increased community safety issues."

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On Sept. 27, Williams said the fate of Calgary's supervised consumption site is in the city's hands, saying that his office is willing to work with communities on a plan to close the drug consumption sites.

In her letter sent to Williams' office, Gondek said the province understood that Calgary's supervised consumption site wasn't working in May 2021 and several issues around the facility needed to be addressed.

"I agreed with your assessment, and I still do," she said.

However, Gondek said closing the site without proper guidance from the provincial government will cause more problems.

"There must be a comprehensive plan from the Government of Alberta to deal with mental health and addictions treatment for Calgarians who desperately need supports, and that plan must also address issues of public safety that have been observed with the existing model."

Inside the supervised consumption site at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre in Calgary. (file)

A notice of motion has been presented to council Wednesday by Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean for city council to call on the Alberta government to close the site.

It also asks the province to help support additional investments to support people suffering from addiction and mental health challenges.

A supervised consumption site for the city of Calgary was first approved by Health Canada in 2017 and it was established at the Sheldon M. Chumir Centre the following year.

Residents protested the existence of the facility in 2019, saying it created safety concerns in the Beltline.

The province ordered the site to be closed in 2021, with the promise that it would be replaced by two new sites in different locations.