Communities object to concentration of drug injection sites
Protesters say their neighbourhoods are shouldering too much of the load
Nearly 200 protesters gathered outside of the Alberta legislature on Saturday to speak out against a concentration of safe injection sites in the Boyle, McCauley and Central McDougall neighbourhoods that they say is part of a larger issue of “systemic ghettoization.”
“We know the situation is dire, and we do not minimize the issue, but Chinatown and the surrounding communities are already saturated with all shelter beds and over 60 social agencies that contribute to chaos, disorder and crime because the homeless and vulnerable are drawn to our communities by these agencies,” Georgina Fiddler, a resident of McCauley for seven years, said while addressing the legislature rally.
In May, Edmonton city council voted to write a letter in support of four supervised injection sites within Edmonton’s inner core, three based in the community and a fourth at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Supervised injection sites allow addicts to consume illegal drugs under medical supervision.
The proposed community locations include the Boyle McCauley Health Centre on 96 Street and 106 Avenue, Boyle Street Community Services at 101 Street and 105 Avenue and the George Spady Society at 100 Street and 105A Avenue, locations that already provide services for those in Edmonton who are homeless.
Protesters on Saturday argued the decision to concentrate these services in already marginalized communities is more about politics than it is about benefiting those in need of services.
“The neighbourhoods that have the voter turnout and money to make or break their political careers do not want them,” said Cris Basualdo, resident of Alberta Avenue, who called the decision “racist, it’s classist and it is economic segregation.”
“Why are we chosen as the only community that should serve the vulnerable and desperate? Homelessness and the fentanyl crisis affects all of Edmonton and all of Alberta,” said Fiddler.
Warren Champion, director of the Central McDougall Community League, said the majority of drug overdoses in the city occur outside the downtown core, but other communities have been more organized and vocal in their opposition.
“It’s a whole lot politically easier to deal with,” Champion said.
Many protesters took issue with a perceived lack of community consultation.
“We do have a voice in our destiny. We do not want people to dictate in our community, to make decisions affecting our lives, our security, our safety and our community health without consultation,” said Michael Lee, chair of the Edmonton Chinese Benevolent Association.
Ratan Lawrence, executive director of the Chinatown and Area Business Association, said in order to understand how these decisions could affect a community, the city would need community consultation, impact assessments and a report on the impact on crime rates.
“There was no such thing done except for a heavy-handed approach,” Lawrence said.
Although city council has voted in favour of the supervised injection site plan and the provincial government has pledged $230,000 in grants to support the initiative, the plan still requires an exemption from the federal government under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act before the supervised injection sites can open.