'I can’t think of a better location': Advocates want Yaletown overdose prevention site to remain
People who use drugs and advocates are vocalizing their support of a downtown overdose prevention site in response to some residents — and a prominent developer — who no longer want it in their backyard.
Sarah Blyth, the executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society, said the Thomus Donaghy Overdose Prevention Site is in an ideal neighborhood, close to other social services such as the Gathering Place.
“I can’t think of a better location for this overdose prevention site,” she said. “Obviously, sometimes there’s people out front waiting to get in. Maybe that means there needs to be more sites.”
The OPS is located on 1100 Seymour Street and offers on-site monitoring and drug testing, as well as other services in response to the province’s toxic, illicit drug supply that has claimed the lives of thousands of people.
Those who work on the frontlines of this issue are building a case for the OPS to stay. Jasmine Veark, an outreach worker and advocate, created a template for people to fill out and submit to the city in support of it.
“The main stakes for me are that I could lose people I care about and love. That is the biggest thing,” Veark said.
Max Deraiche moved to Vancouver a few months ago from Quebec. As a person who uses drugs, he said he doesn’t feel comfortable accessing the OPS on the Downtown Eastside, instead preferring to frequent the Yaletown location.
“It provides a nice service, it’s professional, and anonymous. If that is not there, where to go?” he said.
It’s a question that’s been asked repeatedly as of late. In April, Vancouver city councillor Peter Meiszner said he was in favour of moving the site, citing issues raised by some residents, such as discarded needles on the sidewalk.
Despite calls for the OPS to be moved, there are currently no plans to do so. In a statement to CTV News, Vancouver Coastal Health, the health authority that oversees the city’s overdose prevention sites, said, “VCH is committed to continuing to operate this site as a good neighbour, and to work with municipal government and service partners to address issues if they arise.”
VCH added that it had made adjustments to the OPS, such as establishing a quarterly tenants’ meeting with the City of Vancouver to understand and address feedback from the community, regular needles sweeps to pick up discarded litter and ongoing dialogue with various stakeholders.
In May, one of the city’s largest developers, Wall Financial Corp., filed a petition with the B.C. Supreme Court in response to the site, which is located near one of its properties at 1111 Seymour Street. Wall Financial Corp. claims the petition is “directed at the city’s failure to comply with its own site-specific zoning bylaws which govern where certain services can be located within the city.”
The petition goes on to state that since the OPS opened two years ago, “there was an immediate surge in issues at Seymour Residences, including incidents of people loitering or passing out along the block and in the entryway, of people attempting to gain access to the courtyard and the parkade (by following tenants trying to exit or enter their home) and of attempted and successful break-ins and theft.”
The City of Vancouver and Vancouver Coastal Health are listed as respondents and have 21 days from the filing date to do so.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.