Hundreds protest the province's addictions strategy outside closing safe consumption site

CALGARY -

Hundreds of Calgarians rallied in support of Alberta's safe consumption sites (SCS) Saturday as a deadly stretch of fatal overdoses continues in the province.

About 200 people waved signs and listened to speeches at Central Memorial Park, which is across the road from the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre and the Safeworks SCS.

Trevor Fedan took the mic to speak about the impact Safeworks has had on his life.

"It's not a want," Fedan told CTV News. "As users, we need a place like that with supportive staff. A place where we're not going to be judged. At Safeworks, if you buy into the program, the world is your oyster."

Fedan was joined Saturday by other SCS clients, doctors and neighbourhood residents.

They all believe the recent provincial government decision to shutter the facility will take a toll on those who need it the most.

The site is a place where clients can use substances with clean equipment and nearby medical professionals.

In 2020, almost 54,000 people utilized Safeworks.

"I'm angry that our government is taking actions that are going in the wrong direction," Lori Vrebosch said. "There's no compassion, there's no understanding. I'm angry (because) I support harm reduction and evidence-based strategies."

Vrebosch lost her son to an accidental fatal overdose. She's not alone.

Last year was Alberta's deadliest year ever for overdoses.

1,144 opioid-related deaths were recorded.

A month after announcing the Safeworks closure and shuttering similar programs in other municipalities, the United Conservative government argues it is increasing treatment access.

The province has pledged to overhaul the way resources are made available to those in need, and says it is planning two facilities to replace Safeworks.

Details about those facilities have not been made available.

An interview request sent to the associate minister of mental health and addictions was not returned Saturday.

His office instead sent a statement citing community disruptions that led to the Safeworks closure and promising better treatment policy than the previous NDP government.

Press secretary Justin Marshall went on to say, "we understand that some wish to adopt a Vancouver-style social chaos approach, including flooding the streets with taxpayer-funded oxy-contin style narcotics, but we firmly reject that view.”

Protestor and physician Bonnie Larson says her group believes Jason Luan should resign.

"He has not even identified this complex problem correctly," she said. "This is a death crisis where we're losing 4 people a day in our province. This community clearly supports Safeworks in this location."

The province closed the busiest supervised consumption site in Canada last year.

The government cited "financial irregularities" when it pulled funding from ARCHES in Lethbridge, but no charges were laid following an extensive financial investigation.

Ninety Calgary businesses banded together to show support for similar harm reduction earlier in the week.