Residents opposed to safe consumption site in Richmond fill council chambers

Richmond’s battle over safe consumption site A contentious debate at council continues as harm reduction advocates and people opposed to a supervised drug consumption site square off.

Chants opposing a proposed supervised consumption site in Richmond broke out during Monday's city council meeting.

The chambers were filled with hundreds of residents voicing their concerns over council voting to ask staff to "gauge the potential benefits and challenges of implementing a drug consumption site" in the city.

The review is meant to consider the impact to public safety, health-care costs and community perceptions.

The frustration was shared by hundreds of residents who moved from the entrance of city hall to the council chambers where Mayor Malcolm Brodie was forced to address the heckling.

“Excuse me. I thought we got it straight. There aren’t going to be any demonstrations here,” Brodie said during the meeting.

"I can tell you it will not happen again. If you want to be part of this discussion and let off this decision, then you will respect the process. This is not some kind of a theatre or carnival … this is very solemn occasion where we are making important decisions discussions and decisions for the city."

Ahead of Monday's meeting, thousands of people signed a petition opposing the proposed safe consumption site.

"The introduction of such a facility will inevitably attract more drug addicts to our city," Gady Tse, who started the petition, wrote on Change.org.

"This could lead to an increase in crime rates and public safety issues that would directly affect us all – especially our children who are growing up here. Furthermore, there are potential health risks associated with these sites that cannot be ignored."

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix addressed the concerns raised in the petition at a news conference about senior health care Monday.

"The evidence is that safe injection sites save lives. The evidence is that they make a difference in communities. The evidence is that they make communities safer. That doesn't mean there isn't a debate," he said.

"The record of safety in safe injection sites is remarkable. There is enormous evidence to the positive effects."

Vancouver has 12 supervised consumption sites, including the first that ever opened in North America. Federal data shows(opens in a new tab) no fatal overdoses have occurred at any supervised consumption site across the country.

Toxic drugs killed 2,511 British Columbians in 2023, including 26 people in Richmond.