Calgary councillor proposes closing safe consumption site

Calgary Councillor Proposes Motion to Close Supervised Consumption Site

A Calgary city councillor plans to introduce a motion next week. This motion would support closing the Sheldon Chumir supervised consumption site. It suggests replacing it with an in-person, on-demand opioid treatment centre.

The proposal arises amid ongoing debate about harm-reduction services in the Beltline and throughout the city.

The province has announced plans to shut down the site in 2026. Beltline resident Brad Grainger spoke outside the facility. He acknowledged the complexity of the issue.

“Generally I think there’s a need for them,” he said. “We need to take care of our homeless, we need to take care of our people that have addictions, but nobody wants them in the neighbourhood… they’ve got to go somewhere.”

Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston’s motion calls for a transition to a treatment-focused model. This model would provide immediate access to opioid therapy, ongoing support services, and risk-reduction education.

Grainger understands why some residents want the site removed. However, he believes any replacement must support people struggling with addiction.

“There’s a need for them to have it, but there’s also a need to have them stop it,” he said. “It’s a double-edged sword, but as long as we’re doing something to help them with their addiction and their issues and their problems, I think that’s a good thing.”

A study from McGill University examined supervised consumption sites in Toronto. It found no link between these facilities and increased crime in surrounding areas. Over a decade, crime rates either remained stable or declined where sites were opened.

Calgarian Patti Howlett believes the evidence supports keeping harm-reduction services. “There are lots of statistics in the world and lots of doctors who say that the style of treatment we now have is needed for people who have problems with drugs,” she said. “The province just is on the wrong track all the time.”

Others in the Beltline think the neighbourhood would benefit from a different approach. Resident John Moura believes a cleaner, more orderly environment could attract new businesses and residents.

“If you can keep it as tidy as possible for people, it’s a postcard so people can move here and open businesses and so on and so forth,” he said.