Latest rejection of supervised injection site 'disappointing,' says PEERS Alliance

The group that's been contracted to run a supervised injection site in Charlottetown says the "politicization" of its location is making a bad situation even worse for some of society's most vulnerable people.

On Monday, Charlottetown city councillors voted seven to three to reject Park Street, near the temporary emergency shelter, as a location where people could go to use illicit drugs in a secure and supervised manner, much less likely to result in fatal overdoses.

"Disappointing" is how Angele DesRoches of PEERS Alliance described the decision.

"There's no other way to say it," she said on Tuesday. "It's something that we've been engaging with decision makers around since 2019 and so it is disappointing to see this ongoing politicization of what we know is a needed health promotion service in the Charlottetown area."

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P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador are the only provinces without a safe injection site.

DesRoches said people will find a way to consume drugs, and can't be "shamed" into recovery. The lack of a safe injection site puts them more at risk of overdose. 

"For folks who are experiencing issues related to housing and homelessness, it just makes that situation even more unsafe. And so I think what's really important to remember is that what harm reduction services enable is healthier decision-making and enabling people to stay alive."

For folks who are experiencing issues related to housing and homelessness, it just makes that situation even more unsafe.— Angele DesRoches

In making their decision, councillors considered the opinion of nearby residents who expressed concern about trespassing, property damage, discarded needles and public drug use. 

Karson McKeown, who lives in the Park Street area, said he understands the need for a safe injection site, but "no one wants it in their neck of the woods" — especially if they're already dealing with issues from the nearby emergency shelter.

He said he and his neighbours just want to live on a quiet street, but it's difficult when people using the provincial facility are shouting "for no particular reason." 

He added: "We have drug users on the street… and people are kind of falling asleep on lawns and stuff like that."

Belmont Street location changed

The provincial government had pegged Belmont Street as a potential location for the supervised injection site, but that changed during last spring's election after residents there complained. The province then applied to the City of Charlottetown for a variance to house the new service at a site the government owns on Park Street, as it did with the temporary emergency shelter modular units that the city approved for use in late 2022. 

But Monday might, the city voted not to allow the variance for the supervised injection site, going against its own planning board's recommendation. 

The province could still appeal Monday's decision to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Board.

CBC News reached out to the provincial government for comment and is awaiting a response.

Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly called the handling of the project a "mismanaged disaster" and accused the province of dodging a tough decision.

"As a result, we're seeing a community become divided, we're seeing people struggling getting worse, and we're seeing two levels of government that need to work together unable to get on the same page," he said in a statement.

"Government's lack of action has demonstrated a shocking lack of responsibility and empathy for struggling Islanders."

McNeilly called on the government to come up with a plan immediately.

One idea that was floated at Monday's council meeting was a mobile supervised injection site that could move around to different locations. 

But DesRoches said the need for a regular, reliable service is more urgent in Charlottetown than in outlying areas.

"Dispersing the availability of that service provincewide, to me — I don't understand how that would work logistically and I think it would water down the service to such an extent that it would essentially benefit no one," she said.