Timeline, site now up in the air for P.E.I.'s supervised injection site

After community opposition, and agreement from all four political candidates in District 12, P.E.I.'s first supervised injection site is supposed to be moving from its proposed location in Charlottetown.

The site was expected to open this spring, but with the location now up in the air, that timeline is now also unclear.

At Monday's city council meeting, Councillor Mitchell Tweel questioned the current status of the site, noting that a city permit for renovations to the site was still active.

Alex Forbes, manager of planning and heritage for the city, confirmed that the city did indeed issue permits to allow a building at 33 Belmont St. to be turned into a supervised injection site. Renovations and when to open the centre would be up to the applicant — in this case, the province.

"The renovations were approved for the building as well as the use at that location was approved," Forbes said.

He said it was not up to the city to revoke or cancel the permit that had been issued, once candidates including Progressive Party leader Dennis King committed to finding another location. 

"We don't revoke permits; we issue permits," he told councillors.

"The only time we would revoke a permit [is] if somehow the person was doing something in violation of our bylaws or something along that line. Now, if the applicant decides that they no longer want to pursue that location, they can request of us to revoke the permit. We can do that on their behalf."

In this case, he said, because the supervised injection site is a "provincially driven project," the project timelines and location would be up to the provincial government to decide.

'Not the right place'

On the campaign trail last week, King said he agreed with neighbours of 33 Belmont St. that it was "not the right place" for the supervised injection site, but also said he expected no delay in opening the service — which he said was set to open in the "late summer, early fall at the earliest."

Forbes said a change in location could cause a delay to the initially proposed timeline, as the province would need to start the permitting process from scratch by reapplying. He said processing times for permits vary based on staffing and whether an application is complete when it's submitted.

"It depends on the permit, but it could be… at least a month to get a permit reviewed," he said. "Sometimes on the permit, there's a lot of back and forth with the applicant, [if] we need additional information. So, you know, it can take some time."

Last week, PEERS Alliance — the organization set to operate the site — said in an email to CBC News that staff were "disappointed" about the prospect of delays, and hoped for urgency in designating a new location.

Location is key

Whether the supervised injection site opens on Belmont Street or elsewhere, harm reduction advocates say a central location is key to its success.

Debby Warren, executive director of Ensemble Moncton — the organization that operates the supervised injection site in that New Brunswick city — said the facility needs to be located where people needing its services can easily get to it.

"It doesn't bode well for the service, if we remove [access]," she said. "Individuals may not have transportation and, depending on where they live, it can really pose an issue."

Warren stressed that harm reduction services are a form of health care, helping those who live with addiction.

"This is really about a health issue. We don't relegate other health services to industrial parks or out beyond the [city] limits," she said. "We really have to think about the needs of the individuals that are being served. They really have a right to equitable health services and this is one very important one."

Warren said education is important to help community members understand the need for a supervised injection site. Often, she said, people's fear of the unknown is worse than the reality of having harm reduction services in their neighbourhood.

"I want people to understand: These are your people. These are people who work with you, who are family members, nieces, aunts, mothers, fathers. They deserve dignity. Do not be afraid of them," she said.

"Honestly, if you treat them and talk with them respectfully [and] don't ignore them like they're just a stone on the sidewalk, you will soon see beyond the substance that they use." 

Warren said addressing health issues like addiction requires a community effort.

"We all have a moral obligation to work on this together. This saves lives," she said.

P.E.I. location still uncertain 

In an email to CBC News, the Department of Health and Wellness stated that the planned renovations had not yet taken place at 33 Belmont St., and no new location had been identified. 

Forbes confirmed he had not heard directly from the province about plans for the site. 

"If they want to pursue that location, that's entirely up to them," he said of Belmont Street.

"But if they want to cancel that permit and move to a new location, they need to just provide that clarity to us."