Future of Calgary's supervised consumption site still murky after latest provincial promise to close it
CBC
How the Alberta government will replace Calgary's only supervised consumption site, and what kind of timeline exists for the site's future heading into 2026, remain unclear after the province once again announced its closure last week.
Alberta is moving to close the site in the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre next year, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction said in a statement on Monday.
The ministry said it intends to work with municipal partners and agencies to transition to offering more treatment and recovery services instead, using past shutdowns of sites in Red Deer and Edmonton as an example.
The province said it plans to share more details for Calgary early next year.
The site was the first of its kind in Alberta. Operating out of a hospital in the inner-city Beltline neighbourhood, it’s a place for people to use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of a registered nurse trained in overdose response
Since it opened, the centre has been lauded as providing a life-saving service, as well as targeted with criticism from people who blame it for public drug use and calls to police in its vicinity.
Despite the ministry’s statement, the city has not received any formal correspondence about the future of the cite, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said on Monday.
Farkas expects the city to have a seat at the table to discuss the site’s future, and how continuity of services are provided in its place. He added he’s looking forward to meeting with Premier Danielle Smith soon to raise the topic.
“My understanding is that this is just a repetition of what past statements have been made by previous officials with the provincial government,” said Farkas.
The UCP government first announced they would close Calgary's supervised consumption site in 2021, roughly three years after it opened. Initially, the province discussed opening two replacement sites, but those plans never materialized.
Last fall, Calgary city council debated whether it should call on the province to close the site, but ultimately voted against it due to health services being provincial jurisdiction.
The local debate came as the provincial government shifted its addiction services model to favour more recovery-focused care. Earlier this year, Smith said her government is looking at shutting the site down, but didn't add further details.
Recovery Alberta, an organization the province created to take over delivery of mental health and addiction services, said on Monday it hasn't received official confirmation of a timeline to close Calgary's supervised consumption site. But the organization said it will work with the provincial government, if it receives a timeline, to ensure a smooth transition of services.
Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean represents the southwest corner of the city, far from the site, but he’s long supported its closure.
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