The provincial government is now pledging to close Calgary’s supervised consumption site at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre next year. The location in the Beltline has long fuelled complaints from some nearby businesses and residents, and concerns about safety and discarded needles have existed since the site opened in 2017. The site at the Sheldon Chumir, known as the Safeworks site, provides a hygienic environment for people to use drugs under medical supervision. The Government of Alberta promised to close the consumption site in 2021. Former premier Jason Kenney’s government announced in 2022 it would shutter the site and replace it with two new ones in “more appropriate locations.” The most recent dustup occurred in March 2025 when then-mayor Jyoti Gondek accused the province of dragging its heels to come up with a solution. In a letter to Premier Danielle Smith, Gondek said the province has not made good on its promises and that the delay is causing “concern and distress.” Dan Williams, who at that time was Alberta’s Addictions Minister, said he wasn’t interested in setting up more safe consumption sites. Mayor Jeromy Farkas said on Monday the city hasn’t received formal correspondence on the consumption site’s operation. “But that said, we’re fully expected to have a seat at the table to be able to work through what that transitionary period might look like, timelines and how we can step up to ensure that there’s continuity of services provided,” he said. The province says it will move to provide treatment on demand but did not provide details. A final date for the site’s closure hasn’t been announced.
