Manitoba backs away from timeline for opening supervised consumption site in Winnipeg
CBC
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is no longer offering a timeline for the opening of a supervised consumption site in Winnipeg, emphasizing the province wants it to be done properly rather than quickly.
Earlier this month, Kinew said he hoped a temporary facility would open "in a week or two," after he said the province learned it didn't need a permit from the federal government.
Since then, Kinew said he's come to realize the complexities of opening a supervised consumption site now that the province is the regulator.
"In the process of us shifting from a federal to provincial approval, I have realized that I want this thing to be done right, I don't want it to be done quickly," the premier said.
The province has asked the Aboriginal Health & Wellness Centre, which will run the facility, to address concerns around safety for the people who use the supervised consumption site and for neighbours, he said.
Officials will then decide what other provincial resources should be tapped. The premier said it could take weeks or months to open the facility.
"Before we do take this very significant step, which is effectively to have a localized exemption for the criminal sanctions against illicit drug use, I want to make sure that the health-care offer is super, super strong," Kinew said.
He said he continues to hope the final product will have the sleek look of an Apple Store.
The province has said the supervised consumption site will allow people to inject drugs, with staff on hand to respond to overdoses and guide people toward treatment.
The centre wouldn't supply drugs, only offer a space for supervised use.
Manitoba had submitted an application to the federal government via its "urgent public health need" stream to operate a supervised consumption site in a temporary or mobile site at 366 Henry Ave., while work continued on a permanent location within the main facility.
However, Kinew told Radio-Canada earlier this month that Health Canada approval isn't required for the temporary location, which makes regulation the responsibility of the provincial government.
Chuck Neufeld, who lost his son Sean to an overdose in 2021, told CBC News that while he wants to see the supervised consumption site open, he commends the government for taking time to ensure the facility is set up as well as it can be.
"If you put it on a scale, there's a little bit more emphasis for doing it right than getting it open," he said.
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