Safe injection site variance in Charlottetown denied

The Safe Injection site which was set to be built in Charlottetown has been the centre of controversy on the island for months.

It's faced serious opposition from surrounding neighbourhoods. Some were opposed to harm reduction altogether, but many more were unhappy with the location, fearing it would be an unfair burden on the neighbourhood.

The proposed site on Park Street in downtown Charlottetown currently houses Prince Edward Island’s temporary emergency shelter. At a special council meeting Monday Charlottetown City council rejected an application for a variance to allow a safe injection site at the same location.

Local Councilor Mitch Tweel spoke against the proposed location and pointed the finger at the province, who made the application.

“Put the squeeze on them. If council says no, then the government can say, ‘well we tried but the city said no,’ and then if council says yes, then the province can say, ‘well it was up to the city, they said yes,’” said Tweel.

In the wake of the vote, the P.E.I. Liberal Party said government mismanagement was the main cause of community pushback against the safe injection site.

“The public’s confused, and I for sure know that the public wants to support, and has sympathy, but this government is making it very difficult for anybody to get on board,” said Liberal MLA, Gord MacNeilly.

CTV reached out to the province for an interview. The Chief Public Health Office provided the following statement:

“By working together as Provincial and Municipal Governments, we can address challenges like homelessness and addictions and mental health, and create healthy and safe communities.”

“The Province will continue to work with the Community Harm Reduction Steering Committee (which includes city council members, police and those with lived experience). P.E.I. will continue to explore all the options to implement evidence based harm reduction strategies that support community wellness and reduce negative impacts on people who use substances.”

“Examples: promotion of the NORS telephone service and Brave app, clean needle exchange, harm reduction dispensing machines, take home naloxone kit distribution, distribution of drug testing strips.”

They did not say if government would challenge the city’s decision at the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission.

It’s a victory for the people living in the community who opposed the safe injection site, however the province still has promised harm reduction, it's just not clear where and when that will be.

For more P.E.I. news visit our dedicated provincial page.