Calgary’s proposed overdose prevention sites on hiatus as poisonings surge

Two proposed overdose prevention sites in Calgary aren’t going as planned in Calgary.

The sites have been hitting roadblocks this month. One was nixed and won’t be happening at all, the other one has been put on hold, including the pausing of community engagement sessions.

Plans for an overdose prevention site at the Alpha House in Calgary have been paused. A statement posted on their website says in part: “We believe in the critical need for these services in the community and the pausing of these sessions should not be taken as an indication that we have paused the exploration of the OPS project.

“Given the recent news about the Drop-In Centre no longer pursuing an OPS at their Shelter site, we are working with our government partners and community stakeholders to better understand what the new vision is for overdose prevention services in Calgary.

“Once we have that information, we will have a better idea of the path forward and whether an OPS at Alpha House is the best option for service users and the community.”

This comes after the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre Society announced earlier this month that a proposed overdose prevention site won’t be happening there.

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“You got to think about the situation from the perspective of the shelter workers who are having to deal with huge numbers of overdoses and drug poisonings,” said Euan Thomson, the executive director for EACH+EVERY: Businesses for Harm Reduction, an organization that works towards equity for people who use drugs.

“The Drop-In Centre announced that they were dealing with over 100 drug poisonings a month under their roof. So these are people who are working without any support on this issue.”

–With files from Danina Falkenberg