Protesters draw attention to province's growing opioid crisis
Protesters marched to the Sheldon Chumir Centre Friday to draw attention to the growing opioid crisis.
The province plans to shut the supervised consumption site down, and set up two new ones around the city, although it hasn't said where.
At the same time, overdose deaths spiked 153 per cent over January and February of last year.
Provincial data shows that most of the deaths took place in Calgary and Edmonton, but advocates said the Sheldon Chumir site is the best location because it's attached to a medical facility, which helps prevent overdose deaths.
2020 was Alberta's deadliest year for drug-related deaths, with 1316 reported.
Protest against closing of supervised consumption site at Sheldon Chumir Centre, June 11, 2021
The province said it's shutting down the Sheldon Chumir site because it led to a spike in crime in the area.
Marcher Bella Neill said, "Unless it's downtown, I don't think it's going to be the right place, (because) downtown is central."
"That's where it should be," she added. "And if Jason Kenney thinks it should be anywhere outside of that, then I feel like that's not a good choice."
With files from Chad Tweten
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.