Nanaimo mayor revives push for supervised site

Bill McKay: ‘What we want to do is take it to the next level’

Nanaimo’s mayor is bringing a proposal for a supervised consumption site back to council, banking on a change of heart from a year ago.

“We’ve got a safe injection site here in Nanaimo. What we want to do is take it to the next level, which would be a supervised consumption site with longer operating hours,” Mayor Bill McKay said.

“It would have resources for people that are looking for help. As it stands, we just essentially … prevent them from dying.”

Council refused to rezone the Wesley Street site for that use a year ago, said McKay, who favoured a permanent supervised consumption site at that location.

He is bringing the proposal to the next council meeting as the severity of the opioid crisis hits home in Nanaimo, where the rate of overdose deaths is about 50 per cent higher than B.C. as a whole.

In 2017, 51 people died of illicit drug overdoses in Nanaimo, the highest on Vancouver Island after Victoria where 91 people died.

That same year, Central Vancouver Island, which includes Nanaimo, had the fourth highest rate of illicit drug overdose deaths per capita, after Vancouver, the Okanagan and Fraser East, according to the B.C. Coroners Service.

The current safe injection site, which is near city hall, has raised concerns among area citizens, McKay said.

He said the vast majority of used needles are properly disposed of, but that on some Monday mornings “anecdotally, our people tell us they’ve picked up 55 needles.”

“If we could move forward with supervised consumption, that means bringing in additional supports, engagement, compassion, hope, sincerity — things that are actually major contributors to resolving longstanding dependency disorder issues,” Dr. Paul Hasselback said in a recent address to council. Hasselback is Island Health’s medical health officer for Central Vancouver Island.

Nanaimo is also calling on the province to not to withdraw funding for supportive housing that would help the city tackle the opioid crisis.

“Let’s not let this slip through our fingers,” McKay said. “We want it now. We need it now.”

Last month, council rejected a 44-unit housing proposal on Cranberry Avenue for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless after a neighbourhood outcry against the plan.

That plan would have seen Nanaimo supply the land and the province contribute $7.25 million to build modular housing. Pacifica Housing was to operate the facility, with round-the-clock staffing and support services.

This week, council endorsed asking the province to continue to provide the funding, but to allow more time for the city to find an appropriate site.

“I asked the community for their support,” McKay said.

“We need champions in the community that want to see this thing go ahead, that are going to help steer us in the right direction.”

However, B.C.’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said in a statement that the money will be reallocated to another community with a site ready for supportive housing.

“We encourage the City of Nanaimo to contact us again when they have identified a site that they are ready to move forward with.”

Hasselback told Nanaimo council in his address that providing individuals with stable housing makes it easier to supply them with vital services.

He called for a more caring attitude.

“The reality is these are humans, they are individuals, they are within our community and sometimes we are not treating them with a compassionate approach.”