The supervised consumption site at Calgary’s Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre has closed, ending nearly nine years of service and signaling a significant change in Alberta’s response addiction treatment. Opened in 2017 as Alberta’s first supervised consumption site, the facility offered a monitored environment for drug use under medical supervision and connected clients with health care, treatment, and support services. The closure proceeds despite an ongoing legal challenge from advocates aiming to keep the Calgary and Lethbridge sites open. The Alberta government says people struggling with addiction will continue to receive support through its recovery-oriented system of care. Officials point to declining opioid-related deaths and highlight new 24/7 recovery response teams, expanded treatment spaces and additional services to support long-term recovery. The province will replace the supervised consumption site with a Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinic at the health centre, providing same-day access to addiction medicine, counselling and case management. Alberta has also introduced new 24/7 recovery response teams, composed of health-care professionals and peer support workers, to respond to overdoses and connect individuals with treatment and support. Supporters of supervised consumption sites warn that the closures could have serious consequences. They note that individuals who relied on these sites may instead use drugs in public or alone, increasing the risk of fatal overdoses and placing additional strain on hospitals, shelters, and emergency responders. Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas acknowledges the closure may increase short-term pressure on police and fire services but remains cautiously optimistic about the province’s new approach. “I’m hoping to hear more details from the provincial government, specifically on how we are going to be navigating not just the operations of the replacement rapid access addictions medicine clinic at the Sheldon Chumir, but also how this may fit into a decentralized model of the drop-in centre,” he said. Farkas emphasizes that the transition involves more than the closure of a single facility. “This isn’t just about the Sheldon Chumir Centre supervised consumption services closing its doors; it’s about the state of readiness of other allied health facilities but also services like the HELP team.” He also says any new approach should involve additional investments, not simply reallocating existing resources. “This can’t just be a relocation of existing resources. Our commitment as a council has been to net new support for mental health and addiction strategy, so we are going to continue to call on the province to provide net new resources,” added Farkas. A rally opposing the Calgary closure is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in Central Memorial Park, next to the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre. Meanwhile, legal proceedings regarding the closures are ongoing. A judge previously denied an application for an injunction allowing the Calgary and Lethbridge sites to remain open while the case proceeds. The applicants have since appealed that decision, though no hearing date has been set. With files from Kathy Le
