Yaletown overdose prevention site relocated in Vancouver

Vancouver Coastal Health has announced the new location of an overdose prevention site located in the city's downtown core.

The health authority said in a statement Wednesday that the Thomus Donaghy OPS has officially opened at the 1000 block of Howe Street, behind a social housing complex, though there is no public signage for the site. 

Its previous location first opened in March 2021 at the intersection of Seymour Street and Helmcken Street, but its lease expired last month.

At the time, the City of Vancouver decided not to renew the lease with the health authority, with councillors saying that public safety concerns and the congregation of people outside the site made it unsuitable.

The health authority says since it opened in March 2021, daily visits to the site are up 150 per cent, and it has reversed more than 200 drug overdoses.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said in a news release that the city was not consulted on the relocation of the site to Howe Street, and the site should have been moved to the nearby St. Paul's Hospital instead.

Sim says despite his surprise, he appreciates that several factors must be considered for the location of overdose prevention sites.

"We look forward to learning more from Vancouver Coastal Health about how they plan to operate this site in a way that provides these important services while mitigating impacts on Vancouver neighbourhoods like Yaletown," Sim said in the release.

Vancouver Coastal Health says the new site will allow its clients and residents increased privacy.

"The new OPS will be supported by security, sidewalk management, litter and needle sweeps, and community outreach teams, in addition to other supports, to ensure the health and safety of the people it serves as well as people in the surrounding area," the statement reads.

The Thomus Donaghy OPS is named after an Overdose Prevention Society volunteer who was killed by a client.

Public health data shows that the Vancouver City Centre local health area, which includes the Yaletown neighbourhood, has the second-highest rate of toxic drug deaths in Vancouver.