Our cities have a crisis on their streets

As almost every British Columbian will tell you, our cities have a crisis on their streets. The toxic drug crisis, health-care crisis, and a lack of housing have created a vicious cycle of poverty and inhumanity — and our cities are suffering.

The B.C. Urban Mayors Caucus is an informal collective of mayors from 16 of the largest cities in B.C. We work together to share ideas, find common ground and amplify our voices on some of the biggest issues that we, as mayors, and our cities face. And today, we are expressing our disappointment in the B.C. Supreme Court ruling on the Bill 34 appeal. When Bill 34, also known as the

Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act, was introduced, and eventually passed, we were pleased that our provincial government was doing its part to create safe spaces in our communities.

Now, after the law was paused by an injunction and an appeal of that injunction was rejected, we are once again reminded that we do not have all the support, resources, and authority we need to make our cities safer.

Municipalities have the power to prohibit drinking alcohol in public spaces such as parks, and laws exist to restrict the public use of substances like cannabis, but we cannot apply the same regulations to public drug use.

To say that we are deflated by the Supreme Court ruling is an understatement. We recognize — and respect

— the independence of the courts but, considering this ruling, we want to urge the province, Premier David Eby, and his ministers to look at all the tools and resources available to them, and to think outside the box to help cities manage this crisis. We know there is a need to balance protection of an individual's rights, health and safety with the needs of the entire community, but the current approach isn't working.

It is important to recognize that the toxic drug crisis is a health-care crisis, not a crisis of criminality. But without accessible, barrier-free support and resources for people who use drugs, we are once again left with no way to regulate drug use, and safety, in public spaces. As a result, local governments are left to pick up the pieces and the costs of these challenges.

Because we are not properly addressing the toxic drug crisis, we are paying more money to deal reactively with the fallout of incomplete services.

Whether it is the cost of enforcement and emergency response, overuse of the health-care system or social support costs, the dollars are adding up.

We urge the province to use all the resources at their disposal to equip cities with the tools to help address these problems. Cities are partners in public safety. As mayors, we are on the front line, and we're willing to do our part in concert with provincial and federal actions.